BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary
Lithobates clamitans
Green Frog
| Scientific Name: | Lithobates clamitans (Latreille, 1801) | ||||||||||
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| Scientific Name Synonyms: |
Rana clamitans
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| English Name: | Green Frog | ||||||||||
| Classification / Taxonomy | |||||||||||
| Scientific Name - Concept Reference: | Frost, D. R. 1985. Amphibian species of the world. A taxonomic and geographical reference. Allen Press, Inc., and The Association of Systematics Collections, Lawrence, Kansas. v + 732 pp. | ||||||||||
| Classification Level: | Species | ||||||||||
| Taxonomy Comments: | Changed from Rana clamitans to Lithobates clamitans (June 2010 - DW). | ||||||||||
| Species Group: | Vertebrate Animal | ||||||||||
| Species Code: | A-LICL | ||||||||||
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| Conservation Status / Legal Designation | |||||||||||
| Global Status: | G5 (May 2016) | ||||||||||
| Provincial Status: | SNA (Dec 2021) | ||||||||||
| BC List: | Exotic | ||||||||||
| Provincial FRPA list: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Wildlife Act: | |||||||||||
| COSEWIC Status: | |||||||||||
| SARA Schedule: | |||||||||||
| General Status Canada: | 4 - Secure (2005) | ||||||||||
| Ecology & Life History | |||||||||||
| General Description: | Green frogs are green, greenish brown, brown, or bronze (nearly black when cold), often with numerous dark spots or blotches. A straight ridge that extends along each side of the back begins behind the eye and ends on the back and does not extend to the groin. The hind legs are crossbanded when the legs are folded. In adlut males, the eardrum is much larger than the eye and the throat may be yellow. In adult females and juveniles the eardrum is about the same size as the eye. The webbing on the hind toes does not reach the tip of the 5th toe and barely extends past the second joint of the 5th toe. Maximum size is around 4.3 inches (10.8 cm) snout-vent length. The breeding call is a single croak or series of croaks; each croak sounds like a loose banjo string being plucked. The elongate larvae are olive-green with irregular dark marks (not sharply defined black spots) on the body; the tail is usually heavily dark mottled. The papillae around the mouth are large, somewhat flattened, and heavily pigmented. Larvae may grow as large as 4 inches (10 cm) long. Eggs are laid in masses of up to several thousand eggs, initially floating at the water surface and/or partially tangled in vegetation, later sinking. | ||||||||||
| Global Reproduction Comments: | Breeding occurs in spring or summer. In the north, males call mainly in late spring and early summer (mostly May to August). In the south, breeding may occur as early as March. Adult females deposit 1-2 clutches of up to several thousand eggs. Larvae emerge from jelly in 3-7 days. In the south, larvae from early clutches may metamorphose in a few months, larvae from late clutches overwinter before metamorphosing, as do most larvae in the northern part of the range. | ||||||||||
| Global Ecology Comments: |
See Hecnar and M'Closkey (1997) for information on the dynamics of populations in 160 ponds in Ontario. When approached along the edge of a pond, green frogs often leap into the water while emitting a loud squeenk call. Usually they soon return to shore and then often allow close approach if one moves slowly. |
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| Migration Characteristics: (Global / Provincial) | |||||||||||
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Nonmigrant: Local Migrant: Distant Migrant: Within Borders Migrant: |
Y / Y / N / na / |
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| Global Migration Comments: | In New York, migrates up to 560 m from breeding ponds to overwintering sites (Lamoureux and Madison 1999). Daily movements <10 m for 80% of recaptures in one study. See Mazerolle (2001) for information on activity, movement patterns, and body size of frogs in fragmented peat bogs in New Brunswick. |
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| Habitats: (Type / Subtype / Dependence) |
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| Global Habitat Comments: | Green frogs inhabit virtually any body of permanent or semipermanent water, as well as vernal pools, and juveniles regularly use nearby small temporary pools and puddles. Individuals may disperse from water in wet weather, especially at night. In winter, they shelter under objects on land, underground, or in water. Many overwinter in flowing water of small streams. Wintering sites may be in breeding areas or commonly several hundred meters away. Breeding sites are in shallow, slow- or nonflowing water. | ||||||||||
| Food Habits: |
Herbivore:Immature
Invertivore: Adult |
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| Global Food Habits Comments: | Metamorphosed frogs eat various small, mainly terrestrial, invertebrates; occasionally small amphibians. Larvae eat suspended matter, organic debris, algae, plant tissue, and minute organisms in water. | ||||||||||
| Global Phenology: |
Circadian: Adult, Immature
Hibernates/aestivates: Adult, Immature |
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| Global Phenology Comments: | Green frogs are inactive during cold weather in winter. | ||||||||||
| Provincial Phenology: (1st half of month/ 2nd half of month) |
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| Colonial Breeder: | N | ||||||||||
| Length(cm)/width(cm)/Weight(g): | 10/ / | ||||||||||
| Elevation (m) (min / max): |
Global:
Provincial: |
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| Distribution | |||||||||||
| Endemic: | N | ||||||||||
| Global Range Comment: | Range extends throughout the eastern United States and adjacent southeastern Canada (Conant and Collins 1991). This species has been introduced in Newfoundland, British Columbia (Matsuda et al. 2006), Washington (Jones et al. 2005), Utah, and probably elsewhere. | ||||||||||
| Authors / Contributors | |||||||||||
| Global Information Author: | Hammerson, G. | ||||||||||
| Last Updated: | Jan 26, 2010 | ||||||||||
| Provincial Information Author: | |||||||||||
| Last Updated: | |||||||||||
| References and Related Literature | |||||||||||
DeGraaf, R. M., and D. D. Rudis. 1983a. Amphibians and reptiles of New England. Habitats and natural history. Univ. Massachusetts Press. vii + 83 pp. |
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Green, N. B., and T. K. Pauley. 1987. Amphibians and reptiles in West Virginia. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. xi + 241 pp. |
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Hecnar, S. J., and R. T. M'Closkey. 1997b. Spatial scale and determination of species status of the green frog. Conservation Biology 11:670-682. |
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Johnson, T.R. 1977. The Amphibians of Missouri. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, Public Education Series 6: ix + 134 pp. |
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Lamoureux, V. S., and D. M. Madison. 2002. Overwintering habits of radio-implanted green frogs, Rana clamitans. Journal of Herpetology 33:430-435. |
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Lamoureux, V. S., J. C. Maerz, and D. M. Madison. 2002. Premigratory autumn foraging forays in the green frog, Rana clamitans. Journal of Herpetology 36:245-256. |
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Martof, B.S. 1953. Home range and movements of the green frog, Rana clamitans. Ecology 34(3):529-543. |
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Mazerolle, M. J. 2001. Amphibian activity, movement patterns, and body size in fragmented peat bogs. Journal of Herpetology 35:13-20. |
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Minton, S. A., Jr. 1972. Amphibians and reptiles of Indiana. Indiana Academy Science Monographs 3. v + 346 pp. |
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Ovaska, K, S. Lennart, C Engelstoft, L. Matthias, E. Wind and J. MacGarvie. 2004. Best Management Practices for Amphibians and Reptiles in Urban and Rural Environments in British Columbia. Ministry of Water Land and Air Protection, Ecosystems Standards and Planning, Biodiversity Branch |
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Stewart, M.M. 1983. Rana clamitans. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. 337:1-4. |
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Vogt, R. C. 1981c. Natural history of amphibians and reptiles of Wisconsin. Milwaukee Public Museum. 205 pp. |
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2010. Species Summary: Lithobates clamitans. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Sep 12, 2025).