Rana pipiens

Common and abundant

5 to 7 years

Lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, wetlands.

Insects, earthworms, and other invertebrates.

This is the most common frog in Minnesota.

Malformations
An outbreak of deformities in this species was discovered by school children in LeSueur, Minnesota, in 1995. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency researched the problem from 1997 through 2000, when funding for the research was discontinued. The cause of the malformations remains unknown. According to the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII), research suggests that there is no single cause. The four major environmental factors contributing to the malformations are contaminants, nutritional deficiencies, parasites, and injuries from predators.