Identification: This frog is very similar to (and often confused with) the Green Frog. It has an olive green dorsum that is spotted or mottled with dark, irregular markings. It also has dark markings on the legs that run parallel to the leg's long axis. Adult mink frogs range from 1.8 to 2.9 inches long. This species is almost completely aquatic and is very secretive. The name "Mink Frog" comes from the musty, mink-like odor that the frog gives
off as a warning when handled. Although this smell is a form of defense from predators, it does not keep herons and raccoons from eating them. This odor is the most distinguishing characteristic that separates the Green Frog from the Mink Frog. The Mink's sound cannot easily be described -- it is similar to the green frog's, but only higher and slightly metallic.
Location: The mink frog is known as "the frog of the north" for a very good reason -- in New England, it is only found in northern parts of Maine, above 44 degrees, 30 minutes North latitiude. It can also be found as far west as northern Minnesota, up to Ontario and Quebec. No other frog on the continent has a southerly limit that is that far north! One theory as to why they have such a northerly limit is that Mink Frog embryos need the oxygen-rich, cool water found that far north. In warm water, embryos near the middle of the egg mass do not seem to get enough oxygen and they then die, and their decomposition products appear to kill the rest of the developing embryos. Mink frogs eat aquatic organisms that they can easily catch on the surface of the water such as dragonflies, damselflies, diving beetles, whirligig beetles, waterbugs, aphids, millipedes, leeches, minnows, and spiders.
Habitat: Mink Frogs spend almost all of their time in the water, usually shallow water with emergent vegetation (they especially seem to like lily pads) in the form of ponds, streams, and lakes. The only time that they have been reported to have left the water was during or immediately after heavy rains. When Mink Frogs become scared, they will hide in mud or vegetation. This organism appears to dry out very rapidly, which is most likely why they spend their lives in the water.
Reproduction: This organism breeds in permanent water, usually between June and August. A group of males will gather to create a chorus, calling the females to them. The egg mass is deposited as a jelly-like mass attached to submerged vegetation. One egg mass can contain up to 500 eggs! After a while the egg mass will drop down to the bottom where the eggs complete their development. They will remain in the larval stage for around a year, metamorphasizing into frogs during July and August.
 Previous Frog |  Next Frog |
