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Wood frog

Lithobates sylvaticus · Frogs and toads · Amphibians

Wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus): Dark mask running from each eye over the tympanum to the forelimb, with a white line along the upper lip. Dorsolateral folds; webbed hind toes; smooth skin; a light mid-dorsal stripe may or may not be present; up to about 83 mm. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and date

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Wood frog among fallen leaves
Adobe Stock · Free asset, Standard License (asset 511340015)
Scientific name
Lithobates sylvaticus
Family
Ranidae
In North America
Native
Range
Northern Alaska across boreal Canada to Labrador and south to New Jersey, northern Georgia and northern Idaho, with spotty distribution south to northern Colorado and disjunct populations in Arkansas-Missouri; extends farther north than any other North American amphibian.
Biology

How to identify it

Dark mask running from each eye over the tympanum to the forelimb, with a white line along the upper lip. [1][2]

Dorsolateral folds; webbed hind toes; smooth skin; a light mid-dorsal stripe may or may not be present; up to about 83 mm. [1][2]

Colour ranges brown, tan, rust to green or grey; females larger; males have swollen thumb bases. [1][2]

Call: rapid series of 1-8 (usually 3-5) rough clacking notes, like softly quacking ducks. [1][2]

Field knowledge

Where it lives

Wooded habitats including pond and stream edges, willow thickets and bogs; shelters in logs, humus and leaf litter; breeds in vernal pools and other fish-free ponds. [1][2]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Winters on land and can freeze and thaw without harm. [1][2]

Migrates to fish-free breeding pools in late winter or early spring and shows strong pond fidelity; mostly solitary otherwise. [1][2]

Mostly diurnal, though breeding can occur at night; most active in summer in damp conditions. [1][2]

Eats terrestrial invertebrates such as spiders, beetles, moth larvae, slugs and snails. [1][2]

Regulatory handoff

Limited legal take

Legal take of this species exists only under narrow conditions — a quota, a draw, a permit, a small area, or animals released or held on private land — set by the authorities below. Nowhere else is a legal opportunity implied, and Hunt shows one only where a certified rule establishes it.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Northern Alaska across boreal Canada to Labrador and south to New Jersey, northern Georgia and northern Idaho, with spotty distribution south to northern Colorado and disjunct populations in Arkansas-Missouri; extends farther north than any other North American amphibian.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30

    NatureServe

  2. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30

    University of Michigan Museum of Zoology