Blanchard's cricket frog - Acris crepitans

Adult cricket frog sitting in shallow water

Description:

  • 5/8-1.5 inches total length
  • Found in small shallow streams and ponds
  • Active day and night
  • Breed in stream pools and ponds
  • Feed on small aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates
  • Mostly splotchy brown in color, but some can have green or reddish markings on their backs

Interesting fact:

  • We have recently discovered that Blanchard's cricket frogs have a visual display consisting of alternating extensions of the back legs while moving about in circles. It appears that only males engage in this display, but we are still trying to work out the exact reasons for it.

Range map in Kansas:

Map of Kansas with counties containing cricket frogs in purple.

More images:

Very young cricket frog, recently metamorphosed from tadpole

Tadpole of a cricket frog