We need your help to document populations of Blanchard's Cricket Frogs in Minnesota!
What is a Blanchard's Cricket Frog?
The Blanchard’s Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi) is Minnesota’s only state-endangered frog. We are on the northern edge of their continental range, and populations were once found throughout southwestern and southeastern Minnesota. Unfortunately, Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs have experienced population declines across the entire northern part of their range, and their status in Minnesota is not clear. They were thought to have been lost from the state in the early 2000s, but have since been re-discovered in the Twin Cities metro area, southeastern Minnesota along the Mississippi River, and in southwestern Minnesota in the Rock River watershed.
How can I help?
You can help us learn more about the status of Blanchard’s cricket frogs in Minnesota by participating in the Minnesota Cricket Frog Survey. This community science project is a collaborative effort of the MN DNR Nongame Wildlife Program, HerpMapper, the Amphibian and Reptile Survey of Minnesota, and you!
If you’d like to join the survey, you’ll need to sign up for an account. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to access the Minnesota Cricket Frog Survey page and download the MobileMapper app. The survey webpage has instructions, a map of potential survey locations, best times to listen for cricket frogs, and other useful information.
A typical survey involves going to a location where there is suitable habitat for cricket frogs, listening quietly for at least 5 minutes, and recording your data in the app. You can visit multiple locations in an evening, and listen anywhere potential habitat is present (you don’t need to only visit the locations on the map.) We’re trying to find more areas where Cricket Frogs live, so please go anywhere you think they might be!
In addition to the resources listed above, there is more information about cricket frogs and their habitat available on the MN DNR Rare Species Guide webpage. Also, check out the Amphibian and Reptile Survey of Minnesota webpage for great images and recordings of Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs. Make sure you know what you’re listening for before you go!