One of the 47 frogs on WAnimals
Amphibians · Anura · Ranidae
Common Frog
Rana temporaria
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
It is the amphibian that ranges furthest north in Europe, and the only one living inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia.
Weight
2 kg – 5 kg
Size
6 cm – 10 cm
Lifespan
7 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Irregular activity
Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- It is the only European amphibian living inside the Arctic Circle, in Scandinavia.
- It has no vocal sacs, so its call barely carries beyond 50 metres.
- Its tadpoles are entirely black at hatching and develop golden flecks by 6 weeks.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)
- Habitat & environment
- Damp, shaded woodland, meadows and gardens across much of Europe, including mountain country
- Birth weight
- Hatches as a tadpole after 30-40 days of egg development
- Size at birth
- Hatches as a tadpole
- Sexual maturity
- 2-3 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 30-40 days until the egg hatches
- Litter / clutch size
- 700 to 4,500 eggs per clutch (~1,000 on average), laid in a jelly mass
- Lifespan in captivity
- Documented record of up to 27 years
Sources consulted: Wiley (reproductive output study); Britannica; Woodland Trust; A-Z Animals; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Animal Diversity Web; Wiley (life-history traits French Alps study)
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: From January to April, during spawning, when it gathers in ponds and backwaters; in northern Iberia it can start in midwinter.
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 206 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Common Frog — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Agile Frog
Rana dalmatina
Perez's Frog
Pelophylax perezi
Pyrenean Frog
Rana pyrenaica
Water Frogs
Pelophylax kl. esculentus
American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
Iberian Frog
Rana iberica
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Based on what we already know about common frog.
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