6 Types of Frogs and Toads You Can Find in North Dakota
September 23, 2026
North Dakota’s brutal winters and dry prairie climate mean the state supports far fewer amphibians than its neighbors to the south and east. Anyone researching the types of frogs in North Dakota will notice the list stays short: AnimalSpot notes that North Dakota is a very cold place to live, so only a handful of frogs call it home. Yet the species that do survive here have adapted in remarkable ways, from freezing solid in winter to hybridizing across territorial lines.
According to Prairie Public, citing the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s official reptile and amphibian survey, four species of frogs may be found in North Dakota (Gray Tree, Northern Leopard, Western Chorus, and Wood), and five species of toads are also listed for the state. This guide covers six of the most notable species true frog and true toad species anyone birdwatching, hiking, or pond-fishing in the state is likely to encounter or hear calling in spring.
| Species | Typical Size | Where to Find It | Call Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Toad | 2–3.5 inches | Rare; scattered wetlands, mostly eastern ND | Long musical trill |
| Wood Frog | 2–3 inches | Northern and eastern ND, moist woodlands | Clucking, duck-like quack |
| Northern Leopard Frog | 2–4.5 inches | Statewide, ponds and marshes | Low snoring grunt |
| Cope’s Gray Treefrog | 1.25–2 inches | Eastern ND, wooded wetlands | Short, raspy trill |
| Boreal Chorus Frog | 0.75–1.5 inches | Statewide, temporary ponds and ditches | Comb-tooth “reeeek” |
| Canadian Toad | 2–3.5 inches | Restricted to eastern ND lakes and ponds | Harsh, short trill |
1. American Toad
The American toad (Anaxyrus americanus) is technically part of North Dakota’s amphibian list, but sightings are unusual. The North Dakota Herp Atlas states plainly that the American Toad is very rare in North Dakota, with most records concentrated in the eastern part of the state where it overlaps with its closer relative, the Canadian toad.
Identification gets tricky in that overlap zone. The Herp Atlas warns that American Toads may be mistaken for Canadian Toads in eastern North Dakota, and the two species readily hybridize, making identification challenging in areas of overlap. Physically, the species has coloring ranging from brown to gray with a slight olive or reddish tint, a pale belly with fine black spots, and dark spots on the back that usually contain one or two warts each.
Pro Tip: The easiest way to separate an American Toad from a Canadian Toad is to check the ridge between the eyes. American Toads lack the fused bony “boss” that Canadian Toads develop, and their cranial crests stay visible both between and behind the eyes.
Because the species sits at the edge of its range in North Dakota, it is worth checking the state’s broader conservation picture. The list of endangered animals in North Dakota includes several species whose populations are similarly limited by the state’s climate and habitat fragmentation.
2. Wood Frog
The Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) is one of the first amphibians to appear each year. Bird Watching HQ reports that Wood Frogs are found in North Dakota in moist woodland habitats, including forested swamps, ravines, and bogs, and they travel widely to visit seasonal pools to breed. The North Dakota Herp Atlas adds that adults measure 2 to 3 inches, are typically brown, rarely orange or pink, and have a dark brown mask, with individuals in northern North Dakota often showing a white stripe down the back.
This frog’s real claim to fame is its winter survival trick. According to Bird Watching HQ, Wood Frogs have adapted to cold climates by freezing over the winter, during which their breathing and heartbeat stop while their bodies produce a type of antifreeze that keeps their cells from bursting, then they thaw and begin feeding again in spring. The Frog Lady’s regional field notes describe the same phenomenon in more detail, explaining that these frogs can tolerate complete freezing of up to 65% of their body as they pump water within their body to their extremities while pumping large amounts of glucose from the liver into their cells, creating a syrupy sugar solution that acts as antifreeze.
Key Insight: Wood Frogs also appear to recognize kin. Research cited by Bird Watching HQ found that as tadpoles, siblings will seek each other out and group together, a behavior rarely documented in amphibians.
Once thawed, Wood Frogs feed heavily on insects to rebuild energy reserves. Readers curious about the insect populations that sustain frogs across the state can check the types of flies found in North Dakota, many of which make up a large share of the Wood Frog’s spring diet. For comparison, the species also ranges into neighboring states; the frog species found in Iowa include a similar Wood Frog population adapted to the same freeze-thaw cycle.
3. Northern Leopard Frog
The Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) is the species most North Dakotans are likely to see up close. Bird Watching HQ describes adults as ranging 2 to 4.5 inches long, with smooth skin in green, brown, or yellow-green tones marked by large dark spots, and lighter-colored raised ridges running down the length of the back. They favor calm water, and the same source notes that you can spot Northern Leopard Frogs in North Dakota near slow-moving bodies of water with lots of vegetation, including ponds, lakes, streams, and marshes.
This is also the state’s most aggressive amphibian feeder. The Frog Lady describes it as one of North Dakota’s most common frogs along ponds and lakes, an opportunistic feeder that will eat anything that fits in its mouth, including beetles, ants, smaller frogs of its own species, birds, and even garter snakes. Bird Watching HQ goes further, noting that these frogs eat various foods including worms, crickets, flies, and small frogs, snakes, and birds, and in one study a bat was even observed being eaten.
Its call is unmistakable once you know it. Sources describe it as a low and rumbling snore and grunt sound, and the frog has also been known to scream loudly when grasped or frightened by a predator. This defensive scream is a useful identifier in the field, since few other North Dakota amphibians vocalize when handled. Leopard frogs also range widely outside the state; readers can compare populations in the frog species of Illinois, where the same species thrives in wetter habitat.
4. Gray Tree Frog (Cope’s Gray Treefrog)
North Dakota’s only tree frog is technically the Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Dryophytes chrysoscelis, also listed as Hyla chrysoscelis), not the nearly identical Eastern Gray Treefrog found farther east. The Frog Lady explains the taxonomic history directly: many older publications show both the eastern gray treefrogs and the Cope’s gray treefrog within the state of North Dakota, but more recent publications only show the Cope’s gray treefrog. Range data from the North Dakota Herp Atlas confirms this, listing Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) among the state’s confirmed species while leaving the Eastern Gray Treefrog off the current list.
The two look almost identical but sound different. According to the Frog Lady, the Cope’s gray treefrog is smaller and smoother skinned than the gray treefrog, and while both can be difficult to tell apart during breeding when mottled, most of the time the Cope’s gray treefrog has a solid lime green colored back. The call is the more reliable clue: the Cope’s gray treefrog can be distinguished from the gray treefrog by its call, which is short, melodic and raspy.
Important Note: Some older field guides and regional checklists still list “Gray Treefrog” generically for North Dakota without specifying Cope’s Gray Treefrog. Current herpetological records support only the Cope’s variant in the state, so treat any “Eastern Gray Treefrog” sighting reports with caution.
SnakeTracks notes that the gray tree frog found in North Dakota is endemic to the eastern part of the USA and the southeastern region of Canada, with populations also documented in Connecticut, Indiana, Manitoba, New York, Ontario, and Tennessee. Tree frog enthusiasts comparing regional variation may also want to review the frog species native to North Carolina, where both gray treefrog species overlap and hybridize more freely than they do farther west.
5. Western Chorus Frog / Boreal Chorus Frog
What many North Dakota field guides still call the “Western Chorus Frog” is now classified by most current sources as the Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata). SnakeTracks explains that the boreal chorus frog is native and endemic to North America and can be found across Canadian provinces including Yukon, Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Quebec, with its range extending south through the northern Great Plains into North Dakota.
Size-wise, this is the smallest amphibian in the state. The Frog Lady describes it as North Dakota’s smallest frog at only an inch long, typically brown with three dark lateral stripes or spots down its back and a white upper lip. Bird Watching HQ adds behavioral detail, noting that while the Boreal Chorus Frog is a common amphibian in North Dakota, they are rarely seen, since they are small and secretive, inhabiting moist meadows and forests near wetlands.
Breeding habitat requirements explain why the species favors temporary water. According to Bird Watching HQ, these amphibians breed in shallow temporary ponds and pools such as flooded fields and roadside ditches, and they require waters free of fish, otherwise predators would eat most of their eggs and tadpoles. Its call is a signature spring sound across the plains, described as a sound compared to someone running a finger over the teeth of a comb, most likely heard in the late afternoon or evening. Anyone comparing chorus frog populations further west can look at the frog species documented in Nebraska, where the same species remains common in similar prairie wetlands.
6. Canadian Toad
The Canadian toad (Anaxyrus hemiophrys) is North Dakota’s rarest and most geographically limited amphibian. Wikipedia notes that the species, also known commonly as the Dakota toad, ranges from the prairie regions of western Canada south to parts of the upper midwest of the United States, and can grow to around 7.6 cm (3 in) in length.
The Herp Atlas is direct about the species’ status in the state, listing it as a Level I Species of Conservation Priority, restricted to eastern North Dakota. That limited range makes correct identification important for anyone tracking the population, especially since it overlaps with the American toad in the same corner of the state.
The defining feature is the raised bony ridge between the eyes. South Dakota’s amphibian survey explains that unlike the American Toad, cranial crests on Canadian Toads are rarely present behind the eye and are fused together between the eyes to form a raised, bony structure called a boss. The same source describes overall coloring as a background color of various shades of tan or brown, with the back covered in small to medium sized dark spots that typically contain one or two large reddish orange or brown warts per spot.
Call quality offers another identification shortcut. American toad calls are generally described as a melodic trill lasting from 5–30 seconds, often described as more musical and less harsh than the call of Canadian Toads, giving field observers a quick audio cue even before checking for the boss. Because the Canadian toad’s North Dakota range is so restricted, it appears alongside other range-limited species on the state’s endangered species watch list, and its Minnesota population is tracked closely by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for the same conservation reasons.
Where to Look and Listen for North Dakota’s Frogs
Timing matters more than location for most of these species. Prairie Public notes that spring choruses can be confusing even for experienced listeners, since the competition between males is fierce, and there is often more than one species of frog or toad singing at once, making it hard to differentiate between the different calls. Wetlands, roadside ditches, and temporary pools after spring rains are the most reliable places to start.
Bird Watching HQ’s broader amphibian survey offers a useful reminder for beginners: although amphibians are widespread, they can be challenging to locate, since most amphibians including frogs, toads, and salamanders are secretive and shy, but looking for them is a genuinely rewarding experience. Learning calls before heading out, rather than relying on sight alone, remains the single best strategy for confirming which of the six species you have found.
None of North Dakota’s frogs or toads pose any danger to handle, which sets the state apart from regions with venomous or toxin-secreting species. Readers curious about which amphibians elsewhere do carry defensive toxins can compare the state’s harmless residents against the poisonous frog species found around the world. For a broader look at how North Dakota’s six species fit into the bigger amphibian picture, the full breakdown of frog types and the related question of how many frog species exist worldwide both offer useful context. For other wildlife adapted to the same cold prairie climate, the bat species native to North Dakota share several of the same overwintering survival challenges.
North Dakota’s frog and toad population may be small compared to wetter states, but each of the six species covered here has adapted to the region’s short summers and long winters in its own way. From the Wood Frog’s freezing survival trick to the Canadian Toad’s shrinking eastern range, these amphibians reward patient observers willing to learn their calls and habitats. Spring remains the best season to hear all six at once, when breeding choruses fill the state’s ponds, ditches, and vernal pools before summer heat sets in.