Northern cricket frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northern Cricket Frog |
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| Northern Cricket Frog, Acris crepitans | |
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A. crepitans
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| Acris crepitans Baird, 1854
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Acris crepitans blanchardi |
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The Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans) is a tiny frog that belongs to the Hylid family. These small frogs live in the United States and parts of northeastern Mexico. They are usually between 0.75 and 1.5 inches (19–38 mm) long. Northern Cricket Frogs mostly eat crickets and other small insects. They typically lay their eggs in spring, from April to May. Their tadpoles hatch just a few days later.
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About the Northern Cricket Frog
The Northern Cricket Frog is one of the smallest vertebrates in North America. It grows to be about 19 to 38 millimeters long.
These frogs can have many different colors on their backs. Their skin might be grey, green, or brown. Often, they have blotchy patterns that are not regular.
There is also a Southern Cricket Frog. The Northern Cricket Frog usually has shorter legs and more webbing on its back feet. Its snout, or nose, is also less pointed than the Southern Cricket Frog's. However, some Northern Cricket Frogs can have snouts that look very similar to the Southern species.
Behavior and Diet
Northern Cricket Frogs are active during the day. They stay active for most of the year. In northern areas, they might hide away in midwinter when the water freezes.
Their main food is small insects. These insects are usually about 0.5 to 1.5 inches long. This includes insects like mosquitos.
Many animals like to eat Northern Cricket Frogs. These predators include birds, fish, and even other frogs. To get away from danger, these frogs are amazing jumpers. They can leap up to 3 feet in a single jump! They are also very good swimmers.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Northern Cricket Frogs usually breed from May through July. During this time, the male frogs make a special sound. They call from plants that stick out of the water. Their call is high-pitched and sounds like small pebbles clicking together. This sound gets faster and faster. It reminds people of a cricket, which is how they got their name!
Each female frog lays one egg at a time. She usually attaches it to a piece of a plant in the water. The tiny tadpoles hatch in just a few days. They are about 14 millimeters long. These tadpoles then go through metamorphosis in early fall. This means they change from tadpoles into small frogs. Most Northern Cricket Frogs become adults in less than a year.
Habitat
Cricket frogs like to live near the edges of water. They prefer water that moves slowly and stays there all year. You can often find large groups of them. They gather along the muddy banks of shallow streams. This is especially true before they move to new places. Northern Cricket Frogs have been seen spending winter away from water. They often go quite far from ponds or streams to hibernate.
See also
In Spanish: Acris crepitans para niños
