11 Types of Frogs in Minnesota: How to Identify Each Species
October 15, 2026
A wood frog can freeze solid through a Minnesota winter, its heart stopped and its organs packed in ice, then thaw out alive again each spring. That kind of adaptation hints at just how varied the types of frogs in Minnesota really are, ranging from inch-long chorus frogs to bullfrogs weighing over a pound.
Eleven native frog species breed across the state’s lakes, marshes, bogs, and backyard ponds, each with its own call, habitat preference, and markings. Knowing what separates a pickerel frog from a leopard frog, or a Cope’s gray treefrog from its near-identical cousin, makes a spring walk near water far more rewarding. Minnesota’s amphibians represent just a slice of a much larger family tree, covered in more depth in our overview of different types of frogs and in our broader look at how many frog species exist worldwide.
| Common Name | Average Size | Typical Habitat | Active Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Bullfrog | 3.6–6 in | Permanent ponds, lakes, swamps | Late spring–summer |
| Blanchard’s Cricket Frog | Up to 1.25 in | Open shorelines, southeast MN | Late spring–summer |
| Boreal Chorus Frog | Up to 1.5 in | Vegetated wetlands statewide | Early spring |
| Cope’s Gray Treefrog | 1.25–2.4 in | Wooded areas, central MN | Late spring–summer |
| Gray Treefrog | 1–2 in | Forests, swamps, backyards | Late spring–summer |
| Green Frog | 2–4 in | Ponds, streams, marshes | Late spring–summer |
| Mink Frog | 2–3.5 in | Lakes and rivers with lilies | Summer |
| Northern Leopard Frog | 2–4.5 in | Wet meadows, slow water | Spring–summer |
| Pickerel Frog | 1.75–3 in | Southeastern Minnesota | Spring–summer |
| Spring Peeper | 1–1.5 in | Forest floor near wetlands | Early spring |
| Wood Frog | Up to 3 in | Northern woodlands | Earliest spring |
1. American Bullfrog
The American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is the heavyweight among frog species in Minnesota. Adults typically measure 3.6 to 6 inches long and can weigh as much as 1.5 pounds, making this the largest frog in the state. Coloration runs olive green to brown, often with mottled spots, and the back feet are fully webbed for powerful swimming.
Bullfrogs live in permanent bodies of water, including swamps, ponds, and lakes, rather than the temporary pools favored by smaller species. According to Bird Watching HQ, males stake out shallow-water breeding territories and defend them aggressively against rivals during summer. Their diet is opportunistic, and adults eat almost anything that fits in their mouths, including the beetles and other insects common around the state’s wetlands.
Because bullfrog tadpoles can take up to two years to mature in Minnesota’s cooler water, this species tends to concentrate in larger, permanent lakes rather than the shallow seasonal wetlands used by chorus frogs and wood frogs.
2. Blanchard’s Cricket Frog
Minnesota sits at the northern edge of the range for the Blanchard’s cricket frog (Acris blanchardi), and the state lists it as endangered even though the species remains secure elsewhere. It occupies only the southeastern counties and a small pocket in the extreme southwest, and it rarely grows past 1.25 inches long. That makes it one of the smallest and hardest to find of the eleven types of frogs in Minnesota.
Its warty skin varies from tan to brown to green, often with a dark triangle between the eyes, and it favors sunny, open shorelines with sparse vegetation rather than deep shade. Because its range overlaps with the state’s remaining native prairie, biologists tracking the species often compare notes with researchers studying other grassland frog habitats across the Midwest. The Minnesota Amphibian and Reptile Survey tracks new sightings of this species as part of its ongoing conservation monitoring, and volunteer reports help flag population declines early.
3. Boreal Chorus Frog
The boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata) is easy to overlook and hard to miss once it starts calling. It’s brown with three dark lateral stripes or spots down its back, a white upper lip, and a body that measures up to 1.5 inches long. It typically lives near heavily vegetated water but also needs a shallow, open area nearby for breeding.
According to the Frog Lady’s Minnesota field notes, this species turns up statewide, making it one of the most widely distributed frogs Minnesotans will ever hear. The call sounds like a fingernail dragged across the teeth of a comb, rising in pitch toward the end. These frogs feed heavily on small invertebrates, including the ants that turn up in the leaf litter near their breeding pools.
4. Cope’s Gray Treefrog
The Cope’s gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) looks almost identical to its close relative, the gray treefrog, and separating the two by sight alone is genuinely difficult. It’s smaller and smoother-skinned than the gray treefrog, and most individuals show a solid lime-green back rather than the mottled pattern typical of its cousin. It’s common throughout the middle section of Minnesota.
Pro Tip: The surest way to tell Cope’s gray treefrog from the gray treefrog apart is by call speed, not color. Cope’s gray treefrog has a faster, harsher trill, so a recording app that slows down audio can help confirm an identification in the field.
Like most treefrogs, it hunts flying and crawling insects at night, including the wasps and moths drawn to porch lights near wooded yards.
5. Gray Treefrog
The gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor) earns its scientific name honestly. It can slowly change colors to match what it’s sitting on, shifting between gray, green, and brown to blend into bark or leaves. It’s found throughout most of Minnesota, from backyard gardens to deep forest interiors.
It prefers to breed in woodland ponds without fish, and its call is a high trill lasting about one second, most often heard in spring and summer. Per Bird Watching HQ, this species is far easier to hear than to see, since it spends most daylight hours resting high in tree canopies. Readers comparing treefrog diversity across regions might also enjoy our look at the types of frogs in Oregon, where a very different set of treefrog species has adapted to a wetter climate.
6. Green Frog
The green frog (Lithobates clamitans) ranks among the easiest frogs to find near Minnesota water. Its coloration runs green to brown with darker mottling on the back, ridges run along the sides, and the hind feet are webbed for swimming. Females grow noticeably larger than males, and adults typically reach 2 to 4 inches long.
Its call is a single, banjo-like note that’s simple to recognize once you’ve heard it a few times. Green frogs belong to the true frog family, which the Minnesota DNR describes as a group of long-legged, narrow-waisted, smooth-skinned frogs whose fingers aren’t webbed even though the toes are. Most true frogs in Minnesota overwinter in well-oxygenated lakes or streams, sheltering among rocks, logs, and leaves. The species ranges well beyond Minnesota, showing up as far south as the frogs found in Alabama.
7. Mink Frog
The mink frog (Lithobates septentrionalis) gets its name from an odor rather than a look. Its skin produces a musty smell similar to a mink’s scent, which some observers compare to rotting onions. Its head is bright green, the body medium-sized, and males are smaller than females and have yellow throats.
Mink frogs favor lakes and rivers with water lilies, hopping across lily pads to avoid predators rather than diving for cover underwater. The Minnesota DNR groups this species among the state’s most aquatic frogs, alongside the bullfrog, green frog, and pickerel frog, all of which spend most of their adult lives in or near permanent water. Birdwatchers scanning the same lakeshores for frogs often spot the herons that hunt them along the shallows.
8. Northern Leopard Frog
The northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens) is one of the most recognizable frogs in the state. Its smooth skin is green, brown, or yellow-green with large dark spots, and lighter-colored ridges run down the length of its back. Adults commonly reach 2 to 4.5 inches long.
Look for it near slow-moving water with heavy vegetation, including ponds, lakes, streams, and marshes. Minnesota’s wildlife agency also classifies it as a grassland species, since it wanders well away from water into wet meadows and open fields during summer months. Hawks and eagles rank among its more notable predators, especially in open prairie habitat where cover is scarce.
9. Pickerel Frog
The pickerel frog (Lithobates palustris) is often confused with the northern leopard frog, but the spotting pattern gives it away. In Minnesota, it lives only in the southeastern corner of the state and typically measures 1.75 to 3 inches long. Rather than the leopard frog’s rounded spots, the pickerel frog shows two parallel rows of square or rectangular blotches running down its back.
Its skin secretions mildly irritate predators and other amphibians, a trait that keeps many fish and snakes from bothering it, though it’s nowhere near as potent as the compounds found in the tropical dart frogs covered in our guide to poisonous frog species around the world. Anglers who handle pickerel frogs as bait should still rinse their hands afterward and avoid storing them in the same container as other frog species.
10. Spring Peeper
The spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) is tiny but impossible to ignore once the chorus starts. Adults range from 1 to 1.5 inches long, typically tan or brown, with a dark cross or “X” marking on the back of both sexes. The name comes from its high-pitched call, often compared to the peep of a baby chick.
Despite being classified as a treefrog, it spends most of its time on the forest floor among fallen leaves rather than climbing, even though its toe pads are built for climbing. Its tiny size puts it at the opposite end of the spectrum from some of the world’s larger amphibians, including the small but far more colorful species covered in our overview of frogs in the Amazon rainforest.
11. Wood Frog
The wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) is often the first frog Minnesotans hear each year, sometimes before the snow is even gone. It wakes from brumation so early that it can occasionally be heard calling from ice-covered ponds as early as March. It survives winter by freezing almost solid, producing natural antifreeze compounds that protect its cells while its heart and breathing stop entirely.
Key Insight: Wood frogs can thaw and refreeze several times in a single season without lasting harm, an adaptation that lets them emerge and breed weeks before most other Minnesota frogs are even active.
Look for a dark “robber’s mask” marking across the eyes and a brown or tan body with no bright colors. The species breeds mostly across the northern half of the state in temporary woodland pools, finishing its breeding cycle before many other frogs have started calling. Its cold tolerance makes it one of the most widely distributed frogs in North America, with populations stretching from Minnesota’s north woods to the forests covered in our guide to frogs in Connecticut.
Minnesota’s eleven native frogs fill nearly every wetland habitat the state offers, from the deep lakes favored by mink frogs to the temporary woodland pools where wood frogs breed each spring. Learning a handful of calls and field marks turns an evening walk near any pond into a chance to spot several species in a single outing.
For a broader look at how these species fit into the bigger amphibian picture, the guides to frogs in Oklahoma and frogs in California show how differently frog communities assemble depending on climate and geography. Minnesota’s mix of boreal forest, prairie, and lake country makes it one of the more rewarding states in the upper Midwest for frog-watching.