Mink Frog from Sudbury

Mink Frog is one of the least known species of frogs to herpers in southern Ontario. Not because it is rare by any means,  but because it only occurs in the north. While Mink Frogs are relatively common even in the central reaches of the province (Georgian Bay across the Kawarthas to the Ottawa area), they superficially resemble a Green Frog and I guess maybe a lot of herpers aren't that interested in them. In the boreal forest they are the most common species of Anuran frog.

When doing surveys in the summer in central Ontario, it is not uncommon to hear Mink Frogs clucking away in large wetlands. Mink Frogs are summer breeders, filling the air with their calls by day while Gray Treefrogs take over for the night shift.

Our Sudbury site has an abundance of Mink Frogs, and so I snapped a few photos on the rare occasion that I had my camera with me in the field.

Mink Frog - Sudbury, Ontario (June 19, 2013)

For comparison, here is a photo of a Green Frog from last spring. Note the Mink Frog's more pronounced blotches on its dorsum. Additionally, the Green Frog has dark bands around the hindlimbs, while the Mink Frog has broken bands, if it has any at all. Green Frogs have a more pronounced dorsolateral ridge; the raised line running from behind their tympanum (ear) down towards their hindlimbs.

Green Frog - Cambridge, ON (March 19, 2012)