Moor Frog (Rana arvalis)

Common Name: Moor Frog
Scientific Name: Rana arvalis
Family: Ranidae – True Frog family
Locations:  Austria, Belarus, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine
Size: 2 – 2.75 inches (5.5 – 7 cm)

The Moor frogs lives in central to northern Europe and western Asia. They spend their time around the edges on swamps, ponds, and bogs. Impressively, the frog lives up in the tundra. They can live up to 11 years in the wild.

The Moor Frog starts to breed once they awaken from their hibernation, generally between March and June. The males are known to turn bright blue for a few days during the breeding season. Besides that, the mating behaviors are pretty standard for a frog. The males form breeding choruses in water bodies to help attract mates. Once a female shows up, the male grasps her from behind in the amplexus position. Then, the female lays her eggs and the male fertilizes them. The female lays between 500 – 3000 eggs. Neither parent provides any care for the offspring.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List classifies the Moor Frog as Least Concern for Extinction. They are one of the most common frogs throughout central and northern Europe. The only threat that the frog faces is the destruction of wetlands in the range.