Chorus Frogs, Spring Peepers, Cricket Frogs, and Narrow-mouthed Frogs

​​​​In Chorus Frog species, adults are small and mostly under 1 1/2 inches long with moist to nearly dry skin; most of these have tiny toe pads, but they are much smaller than toe pads found on the larger treefrogs. Plain-colored individuals of our four kinds of chorus frogs (upland, midland, mountain, and the spring peeper) can be challenging to identify.

Click on each frog/toad for more detailed information.

Upland Chorus Frog

• Usually has three narrow dark stripes on the back (This is often broken up into rows of spots)
• Breeding choruses can be heard day and night from January or February through mid-April.
• Scattered late fall-winter calling by individual males on warm afternoons

Midland Chorus Frog

• Usually with three broad dark stripes on the back
• Some adults are plain colored
• Breeding choruses can be heard day and night from January or February through mid-April.
• Scattered late fall-winter calling by individuals on warm afternoons

Spring Peeper

• Usually with a narrow dark X-shaped mark on the back
• Toe pads seem slightly larger than those of the other chorus frogs
• Some adults are plain-colored
• Breeding choruses are heard both day and night, mostly from February through June
• There is also scattered late fall-winter calling by individual males on warm afternoons 

Mountain Chorus Frog

• Sometimes with a pair of broad dark outward-facing crescent markings on the back and a dark backward-facing triangle between the eyes
• The skin often slightly granular in appearance
• Many adults are plain-colored above
• Small groups of males form breeding choruses in temporary pools, road ruts, and shallow ditches both day and night mostly from February through July
• Also, occasional January calls on warm afternoons.

Eastern Narrow-mouthed Frog

• Has a tiny pointed head, short stubby legs, and a skin fold across the back just behind the eyes are distinctive
• Breeding choruses can be heard both day and night from mid-May through August
• Often heard calling from wet meadows following summer afternoon rains

Northern Cricket Frog

• This species has huge hind legs for their size, warty skin, a backward-pointing dark triangle between the eyes, alternating light and brown markings on the upper jaw, and a pair of white warts bordering the anus
• Breeding choruses can be heard both day and night from mid-April through mid-August.

Blanchard's Cricket Frog

• This species has huge hind legs for their size, warty skin, a backward-pointing dark triangle between the eyes, alternating light and brown markings on the upper jaw, and a pair of white warts bordering the anus
• Breeding choruses can be heard both day and night from mid-April through mid-August.