Blanchard's Cricket Frog

Acris blanchardi

Identification

General description: Blanchard's Cricket Frog is a small member of the treefrog family. They have numerous bumps on their back, a green or brown triangle between their eyes, and dark bands on their thighs. Their hind feet are webbed and have toe pads that are small terminal disks.

Length: 2.0-3.5 cm (0.79-1.38 in.)

Color: Variable and can be brown, green, or tan with black, yellow, orange, or red markings.

Sounds: Call is a rapid series of clicks, similar to the sound of metal balls or pebbles being hit together.

Reproduction

Females lay up to 400 eggs -singly or in clusters- that are attached to vegetation near the edge of a wetland. Eggs hatch after a few days with transformation occurring between five and ten weeks. Maturity is in the first year.

Blanchard's cricket frog range in MN

Habitat and range

Breeding habitat: Permanent water bodies including ponds and backwaters of streams and rivers.

Summer habitat: Identical to breeding habitat with some travel over land during dry spells.

Winter habitat: Terrestrial: burrows up to a foot deep in soil near water bodies.

Population and management

Blanchard's cricket frog is listed as endangered in Minnesota, with significant declines observed in the past few decades within its North American range.

Fun facts

The lifespan of most Blanchard's cricket frog is brief (only about four months) with only about 5% surviving to start the next generation in the spring.