Boreal chorus frog

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More names for this animal

Anishinaabemowin: Omakakii (frog)

Dakota: Hnaṡka (frog)

The Dakota and Anishinaabe were among the earliest people to name Minnesota’s plants and animals, as well as to understand them in relation to Minnesota’s climate and seasons. Those original names are still in use, and several are included on the Season Watch website.

Latin (or scientific name): Pseudacris maculata

The scientific community has a convention of assigning agreed-upon Latin names to every kind of organism. Using scientific names helps people communicate confidently about the same organism and organize lifeforms based on how closely related they are.

Page contents

About the boreal chorus frog

Visual guide to phenology

Audio resources

Graphs and historical data

More resources

A boreal chorus frog with its head above water, resting on partially submerged vegetation.
Boreal chorus frog
April 12, 2014, Anoka County, Minnesota
Photo © squamatologist, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
iNaturalist observation

About the boreal chorus frog

  • Boreal chorus frogs can range in color from tan to shades of gray or even red. Three dark stripes run from its head down its back, and a dark line runs through each eye.
  • Boreal chorus frogs begin breeding in March and April. Listen for their call, which is a "cree" sound similar to running a fingernail across a comb.
  • They are found  throughout Minnesota, in open wetland habitat, fields near trees, and also cities.
  • The boreal chorus frog is food for various animals such as raccoons, wading birds, fish, and snakes.
  • Fun fact: At just ¾ to 1½ inches in length, the boreal chorus frog is Minnesota's smallest frog.

Visual guide to phenology

Watch for boreal chorus frogs' presence (or absence), abundance, and behaviors at different times of year. Also, pay attention to when young-of-year appear and develop.

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Note to observers

This page explains general clues to watch and listen for when observing boreal chorus frog phenology. However, this page does not explain how to identify this animal or collect data in a standardized way.

A dark-colored, small frog on ice-covered ground. The texture of the ice suggests that it is melting.
A small brown frog in shallow water with its head above water. Under its jaw, the vocal sac is expanded with air, looking a bit like a large yellow bubble.
Two pale brown frogs are mating in shallow water. Their heads are above water and they are supporting themselves on submerged vegetation.
A frog with its head above water rests on submerged vegetation. Its body is pale brown with darker brown markings. Behind it, strings of gelatinous eggs are in the water.
This photo looks down into shallow water where about eight tadpoles are swimming. They are dark brown with large round heads and short tails.
A small frog sitting on moss. Its body is brown with dark markings, including a stripe from the tip of its face, passing through its eye, and extending to the back of its head.

Audio resources

Chorus frogs calling.
April 21, 2019 in Scott County, Minnesota
Recording by tonycarlile (https://freesound.org/s/592928/) CC BY 4.0
Boreal chorus frogs calling.
April 30, 2021, Wright County, Minnesota
Recording © dianen5, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
iNaturalist observation

Graphs and historical data

Note: The Orientation Center provides a map, as well as information on reading graphs; interpreting summary statistics, who collected the data and how; and how to download datasets for independent exploration.

Hubbard County

First heard

  • Earliest: March 22 (occurred in 2012)
  • Average: April 13
  • Latest: April 28 (occurred in 2013)
Scatterplot showing boreal chorus frog phenology in Hubbard County, Minnesota

Download this dataset (.csv file)

Itasca County

First heard

  • Earliest: March 21 (occurred in 2012)
  • Average: April 13
  • Latest: April 30 (occurred in 2013)
Scatterplot showing boreal chorus frog phenology in Itasca County, Minnesota

Download this dataset (.csv file)

More resources

Boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata) in the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas

Western chorus frog (Pseudacris triseriata) in the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas

Boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata) in Nature's Notebook

Minnesota DNR's calendar of frog and toad breeding periods

 

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Keep exploring Season Watch

Gray circular icon with illustrations of a magnifying lens, a frog, and a conifer twig.

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State of Minnesota

Minnesota places
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Times of year

Co-author: Jayme Hogan, Minnesota Master Naturalist