Frogs and Toads of Quebec, Canada
If you are looking to identify certain frogs and toads of Quebec and can’t figure it out from the page, you can check my Frog Identification and see how to contact me about helping you out.
Frogs
True Frog Family – Ranidae
The Mink Frog does not have a dorsal ridge or barely has one. Its back is spotted or marbled.
American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)
The American Bullfrog is the largest frog in the country. They are found near permanent bodies of water such as large ponds, streams, and lakes. Once the males of the species reach sexual maturity, their throats turn bright yellow. They are very similar to Green Frogs but they don’t have a dorsal ridge down their back. It wraps around their tympanum.
The Green Frog is a medium to large sized frog that is either green, brown, or a mix of green and brown in color. They can be commonly found near pretty much any water body such as ponds, lakes, or streams. Once the males of the species reach sexual maturity, their throats turn bright yellow. Best way to tell them apart from other true frogs below is the dorsal ridge on its back does not go all the way down its back.
Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)
The Northern Leopard Frog is a medium to large species of semi aquatic species of frog. They vary in color from dark brown to slim green with fairly large spots all over their body
The Pickerel Frog is a medium to large sized frog. Their dorsal ridge runs down from their eye to their back and inside there is rectangular boxes.
The Wood Frog is a small to medium sized frog. They vary in color from brown, silver, or red and they have dark “raccoon” eyes. When winter comes, the Wood Frog can freeze completely solid and then unthaw in spring. They start to breed once the ice is off the ponds in late March / early April. After breeding season, they are often found in the woods, far away from any water bodies.
Tree Frog Family – Hylidae
The Blanchard’s Cricket Frog is a small, warty frog that varies in color from tan, brown, or green. They have a dark triangle between their eyes and a dark stripe on their thighs.
Eastern Gray Tree Frog (Hyla versicolor)
The Eastern Gray Tree Frog is the largest frog in the state. It has yellow coloration on its inner rear legs.
Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
The Spring Peeper is a small chorus frog that can often be found on forest floor or low on trunks of trees. They can be hard to find due to their small size, however, in spring when they come to temporary ponds to breed, they are easier to find. They can be distinguished from Boreal Chorus Frog and Cricket Frog due to their x on their back.
Video of a Spring Peeper calling, thanks to M Dwyer, @MustelidDwyer on twitter
Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata)
The Boreal Chorus Frog is a small sized Chorus Frog, ranging from brown, red, tan, to olive in color. They are very similar to the Spring Peeper but there is no x on its back but three lines that run down its back. It is one of the first frogs to start breeding in the spring, once the ice melts from the ponds, but breeds the longest out of all species. It is found along the southern border with the US.
Toads
True Toad Family – Bufonidae
American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)
The American Toad is a medium sized toad with rough warty skin that’s primary brown in color but can have some black, gray, or red coloration. Their undersides are speckled. The American Toads’s parotid gland does not touch or connected to it by a spur. The toads can be found pretty much anywhere including urban areas.
The Fowler’s Toad’s cranial crest does touch its paratoid gland. The belly of the Fowler’s Toad is white while the American Toad’s belly is speckled.
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