Mink Frog (Rana septentrionalis)

Common Name: Mink Frog
Scientific Name: Rana septentrionalis
Family: Ranidae – True Frog Family
Locations: Canada and the United States
US Locations: Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Vermont, and Wisconsin
Size: 1.9 – 3 inches (48 – 76 mm)

The Mink Frog lives along the eastern border of the United States and Canada. It appears similar to Green Frogs and American Bullfrogs but it has dark spots on its legs and back that the other two doesn’t. They are named after their smell that supposedly smells like a mink. Others have described the smell as like rotting onions. Suffice to say that no one wants to smell this frog. The Mink Frog has also been called the Frog of the North due to it living so far north. No Mink Frogs were present at the battle for Winterfell.

Mink Frogs breed from June to August. They breed in permanent bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, or streams, due to tadpoles taking over a year to complete their metamorphosis. The males of the species will start to call from the shallows of these water bodies in hopes of attracting a mate. They will have bright yellow throats to show off. Once a female arrives, the male will grasp her from behind in the amplexus position. The female will lay her eggs and the male will fertilize them. The female can lay up to 4000 eggs. Neither parent provides any care for the offspring.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Mink Frog as Least Concern for Extinction. They have a wide range and are numerous throughout it.