The Northern Cricket Frog may be tiny, but it packs a lot of personality into a small package. Named for its rapid, cricket-like call, this little frog is one of the smallest vertebrates in North America. It’s not a tree frog despite being part of the tree frog family, and it prefers life near the ground. Its high jumps, fast movements, and camouflaged skin make it a fascinating amphibian to spot in the wild.
Size & Physical Appearance
Northern Cricket Frogs are small — usually only about 0.75 to 1.5 inches long. That means an adult can easily fit on a quarter. Unlike some frogs, there’s no sticky toe pad at the end of the toes since they don’t climb.
Their color can vary a lot: some are gray, green, or brown, often with dark triangle-shaped patterns on their heads and blotchy markings on their backs. Some even have a bright green or reddish stripe down the middle of their back.
Males and females look quite similar, but males tend to be slightly smaller and have a darker throat during the breeding season.
Habitat and Range
You’ll find Northern Cricket Frogs in a wide range of lowland aquatic habitats — ponds, marshes, slow-moving streams, and the edges of lakes are all favorites. They prefer places with sunny, open banks and not much tree cover overhead.
They’re found throughout the central and eastern United States, from New York and Michigan down through Texas, and as far west as parts of Colorado. They’re most active at lower elevations, usually below 2,500 feet.
Diet
These frogs have a pretty standard amphibian diet, but they’re efficient hunters. They eat a range of small invertebrates like:
- Ants
- Flies
- Spiders
- Small beetles
Sometimes, they’ll also go after juvenile insects like springtails or tiny crickets — which seems fitting, given their name.
Lifespan
Northern Cricket Frogs don’t live very long. In the wild, they typically survive about 4 to 5 months past metamorphosis, and rarely make it much past a year or two. In captivity (which isn’t common for this species), they might live slightly longer, but they’re delicate and challenging to keep healthy.
Identification Tips
This frog is often confused with the Southern Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus), especially in places where their ranges overlap. Here’s how to tell them apart:
- Warty skin: Both species have bumpy skin, but the Northern Cricket Frog tends to be a bit smoother.
- Snout shape: Northern Cricket Frogs have a more blunt snout, while Southern Cricket Frogs have a more pointed one.
- Stripe on the thighs: Look for a dark, jagged stripe on the rear legs — it’s a strong field mark.
- Toe pads: As members of the tree frog family, they’re an oddity because they lack the enlarged toe pads that other tree frogs use for climbing.
Also, they’re frequently heard before they’re seen, especially in spring and summer. Their call sounds like someone clicking pebbles together — fast and rhythmic.
Fun Fact
Northern Cricket Frogs are incredible jumpers for their size. They can leap more than 60 times their body length in a single bound — that’s like a human jumping half a football field! It’s one reason they can be so tricky to catch or even photograph.
Final Thought
Even though they’re small, Northern Cricket Frogs play a big role in wetland ecosystems. They’re both predator and prey, helping control insect populations and serving as food for fish, birds, and snakes. Plus, they’re a great species to look and listen for on summer nights near ponds and streams. If you hear that pebble-clicking chorus, you’re probably closer than you think to spotting these tiny athletes.