boreal chorus frog

(Pseudacris maculata)

Conservation Status
boreal chorus frog
Photo by Bill Reynolds
  IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

 
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

S5 - Secure

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

Boreal chorus frog is one of the smallest frogs in Minnesota, ¾ to 17 16long at maturity. Females are larger than males.

The body is long and slender. The background color of the upperside is a gradation from a lighter to a darker color; usually tan to brown or reddish-brown, or green to gray. The belly is light brown or cream colored and unmarked. There are three narrow, longitudinal, irregular, stripes of a darker color down the back. The stripes may be more or less broken into a row of spots. Another dark stripe runs from the snout, through the eye, and down the side of the body. The upper lip is white. The male has a dark throat sac.

The legs are short relative to the body. The toe pads are tiny.

 
     
 

Voice

 
 

This frog is seldom seen but often heard. The distinctive call of the male is a “prreep” lasting one to two seconds and repeated in one to two seconds. It is often compared to running one’s thumb over the fine teeth of a comb. Use an Ace brand (harder plastic) pocket comb and start in the middle. The result, like the call of the frog, is a slow trill ascending over the entire length of the call. They often sing in large groups, suggesting the common name “chorus frog.”

 
     
 

Size

 
 

¾ to 17 16

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) has dark markings on the back that form a distinctive X shape.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Breeding (March to May): Temporary pools, shallow wetlands, and shallow parts of lakes; always near woodlands.

Summer (May to ??): Grasslands and fields near trees, forest edges, urban areas; all with wetlands nearby.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Behavior

 
 

Males continue to call in June and July, after the breeding season.

With their short legs these frogs are not very acrobatic and do not climb well.

 
     
 

Lifespan

 
 

3 to 5 years

 
     
 

Life Cycle

 
 

Adults overwinter, partially frozen, beneath rocks or logs. They emerge in late March or early April, often while snow and ice are still present. Males call to attract females. Breeding begins immediately and is usually complete by June 1. The female lays small round clusters of 20 to 300 eggs, eventually laying up to 2,500 eggs, on submerged plants. The eggs hatch in 3 to 14 days, and tadpoles transform into adults in 50 to 70 days, depending on the temperature of the water. They live 3 to 5 years.

 
     
 

Tadpole Food

 
 

Algae

 
     
 

Adult Food

 
 

Small insects, spiders, and other invertebrates

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

4, 7, 14, 24, 29, 30, 73, 76, 78.

 
  1/6/2023      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common and widespread

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Class Amphibia (amphibians)  
  Superorder Batrachia (amphibians)  
  Order Anura (frogs and toads)  
  Suborder Neobatrachia  
  Superfamily Hyloidea  
 

Family

Hylidae (tree frogs and allies)  
 

Subfamily

Hylinae  
 

Genus

Pseudacris (chorus frogs)  
       
 

Subfamily
Most sources place the genus Pseudacris in the large subfamily Hylinae, including NCBI, AmphibiaWeb, and Amphibian Species of the World 6.1. ITIS and iNaturalist place the genus in the narrowly circumscribed subfamily Acridinae. Wikipedia is inconsistent but on the genus page it lists the subfamily as Acrisinae, and on that subfamily page lists Acridinae as a synonym.

Species
This species was formerly classified as (Pseudacris triseriata maculata), a subspecies of western chorus frog.

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Chorophilus septentrionalis

Hyla canadensis

Hyla triseriata maculata

Hylodes maculatus

Pseudacris nigrita septentrionalis

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

boreal chorus frog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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Matt Klocke

 
    spring peeper      
 

Bill Reynolds

 
    boreal chorus frog   boreal chorus frog  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

 

 
           

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 

Pseudacris maculata
Todd Pierson

  Pseudacris maculata  
 
About

Boreal Chorus Frog

 

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
  Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata)
WisCBMnetwork
 
   
 
About

Published on Apr 30, 2012

No description available.

 
  Prairie Life: Sounds of Spring
Carl Barrentine
 
   
 
About

Published on May 7, 2013

Male Boreal Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris maculata) begin to sing when ambient temperatures finally bump-up beyond the mid-sixties. Photographed at the Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (07 May 2013). Thanks to Laci Prucinsky for making me aware of the species-level taxonomic change for this small anuran!

 
  Calling Boreal Chorus Frogs in Northern Ontario
Petroglyph100
 
   
 
About

Published on May 7, 2012

Sounds of calling Boreal Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris maculata) on Lake Superior.

May 5, 2012. Town of Marathon, Thunder Bay District (48.73987, -86.39231)

 

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this amphibian.

 
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  Matt Klocke
7/3/2021

Location: Ottertail County, MN

spring peeper

 
  Bill Reynolds
8/6/2014

Location: Pennington Co. MN

These little guys are all over my yard lately.

boreal chorus frog  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
   

 

 

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