Northern Cricket Frog

About the Northern Cricket Frog

The northern cricket frog (Acris crepitans) is a species of small hylid frog native to the United States and northeastern Mexico. These frogs are majorly in grey, green, and brown color with blotching patterns. Many have a brown or orange stripe down the center of their back and a triangular marking on the top of their head. Despite being members of the tree frog family, they are not arboreal. These frogs prefer habitats near the edges of slow-moving bodies of water, and in close proximity to shelter items, like rocks. It has two recognized subspecies, A. c. crepitans and A. c. paludicola.

The northern cricket frog is one of the three smallest vertebrates in North America, ranging from 19–38 mm (0.75–1.50 in) long. They have a prominent blunt snout. Its dorsal coloration varies widely, and includes greys, greens, and browns, often in irregular blotching patterns. There is usually a distinct triangular mark on their head between their eyes.

The dorsal stripes vary in brightness and hue and are not present until metamorphosis occurs. One New York biologist has identified six distinct color morphs and four pattern morphs, and several intergrades between these. Typically... Wikipedia →