Amphibians · Anura · Ranidae

Green Frog

Rana clamitans

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The green frog is one of the commonest frogs in eastern North America, very like the bullfrog but smaller and with two dorsal ridges that the bullfrog lacks. Its call is unmistakable: a dry, resonant sound likened to the pluck of a slack banjo string.

Size

5 cm – 10 cm

Lifespan

10 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestFreshwaterCarnivore Diurnal Nocturnal Solitary Amphibian Temperate forest Freshwater

2countries 27parks11same family

Fun facts

Its call sounds exactly like the pluck of a loose banjo string, and that comparison is so universal in North America that it appears in every field guide.
Its tadpoles can spend up to two winters in the water before completing metamorphosis, depending on latitude and on the temperature of the pond.
It is told apart from the bullfrog, with which it is constantly confused, by two folds of skin running down the back from the eye that the bullfrog does not have.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)
Habitat & environment: Margins of ponds, streams, pools and permanent wetlands of eastern North America
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: Larval development lasting up to 22 months
Litter / clutch size: 4000 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithobates_clamitans