Frog Habitats

What types of areas do frogs live in? Well, they could be living in a ...

Atlantic White Cedar Swamp

Conditions: highly acidic soils, similar to bog conditions, moss growing over roots, peat that has collected over topsoil

Frog Species Found: The Wood Frog is primarily the only New England frog that can survive in this environment. This frog can survive this type of environment because of its high acid tolerance.

Red Maple Swamp

Conditions: wetlands during spring and winter, dried out during summer, fall. 5 layers of vegetation, canopy, saplings, shrubs, ferns/grass, moss, providing good camouflage for amphibians in the area. other than these basic characteristics, there is great variation in the conditions of this particular habitat.

Frog Species Found: Eastern American Toad , Spring Peeper, Gray Treefrog, and the Wood Frog

Pond

Conditions: defined as body of water where light can hit the bottom, and plants can grow all the way across. food chain is based on the algae and plant life growing throughout the pond. roughly the same temperature throughout, less seasonal changes as lakes. dark green in color, surface often covered with floating plants that bloom above surface, such as cattails.

Frog Species Found: Eastern American Toad , Bullfrog, Green Frog, Northern Leopard Frog, and the Pickerel Frog

Lakes

Conditions: defined as a body of water where the light doesn't always reach the bottom. life cycle is instead dependent on photoplankton, rather than plants and algae. the shallower parts of lakes are often like ponds. differing temperatures throughout lake, most animals can only survive in one region.

Frog Species Found: Eastern American Toad , Bullfrog, Green Frog, Northern Leopard Frog, and the Pickerel Frog

(courtesy Patricia Swain, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program)

River/Stream/Creek

river

Conditions: the species in this habitat must be versatile order to compete with the constant flow of water and the ever-changing environment around them.

Frog Species Found: Bullfrog

Vernal Pool

Also known as temporary/ ephemeral pools Conditions: Vernal pools are temporary ponds that hold water for several months every year. These are basin depressions that lack fish because of their inconsistent supply of water. Often, frozen autumn rains remain throughout winter, or the area is dry until spring melting. Animals present must be able to survive long dry periods and low oxygen levels. This isolated habitat is a very important biological microcosm -- in theearly spring these areas are extremely crowded with the breeding rituals of many amphibian species.

Frog Species Present: Wood Frog, Spring Peeper, Gray Treefrog, Green Frog, Eastern Spadefoot, Eastern American Toad, and the Fowler's Toad.

Wet Vernal Pool

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