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Status

A valid fishing license is required to possess this species for bait or food. Green frogs are basically found in eastern Iowa.

Description

The green frog is Iowa's second largest species of frog (only the bullfrog is larger). They may measure 4 inches in body length. They are green or brown with no markings except perhaps some small black dots or dashes. Young green frogs may be heavily spotted. The upper lip is bright green. The underside is light with few gray or brown markings. Adult males usually have bright yellow throats. Males also have tympanums (circular eardrum behind eye) that are larger than the eyes. Females have tympanums that are equal to or slightly smaller than the eyes. Green frogs have dorsolateral ridges that extend from the eye down the back where they may break up or disappear before reaching the hind legs. This separates them from bullfrogs, which lack this ridge, are larger, and have a larger range in Iowa. There are rare metallic blue color variations of this frog. These are probably axanthic specimens.

Green Frog, Rana clamitans, from Muscatine County, Iowa

Subspecies

The green frog, Rana clamitans melanota, is a subspecies of the bronze frog, Rana clamitans clamitans. The green frog is found in Iowa, but the bronze frog is found in the southern United States.

Range

The green frog is found in the eastern half of Iowa.

Habitat

Green frogs inhabit permanent bodies of water such as ponds, lakes, deep, permanent marshes, and other wetlands, such as streams and rivers.

County Records for the Green Frog in Iowa

Habits

Green frogs emerge in April, but they do not breed until May through July. The males' call has been described as a plunk or gunk sounding like a banjo. It is a single note given once per second four or five times in a row. The first plunk is the loudest, then they trail off. Males defend territories from other males. Females lay 3,000 to 4,000 eggs in a large mat. Tadpoles are green with small black dots and sometimes have yellow bellies. They transform their second year. Green frogs spend their time at the water's edge waiting for prey. Green frogs move overland when there is a heavy rain. When startled, they give off a warning call similar to the "meap!" of bullfrogs before leaping into the water.

 

Green Frog, Rana clamitans, from Lee County, Iowa

Food

Green frogs will eat anything that they can swallow; mostly insects, earthworms, and even fish.