You might see them crossing the roads in large numbers during an evening rain in the fall, but if it's a dry fall like this one has been, you're not as likely to catch a mass migration of frogs. The frogs will overwinter in these larger wetlands until springtime rolls around. The adult leopard frogs then head back to the smaller wetlands to lay their eggs. These wetlands will warm up faster and provide protection from predators such as fish that can't survive the winter in them. You'll hear the adult males calling in choruses throughout the spring.
Different frogs call at different times, and each species has a unique sound.
If you live near a wetland and hear frogs calling, you can find a recording of frog choruses over the winter or visit our web site at and learn the different calls. Then when spring rolls around, you can identify the frogs living in your area. It's the easiest way to figure out what's nearby, especially in some of the muckier wetlands. We'll be at the wetlands in the spring, listening for calling frogs and trying to spot egg masses floating close to shore. For more information about Minnesota, visit the Northstar Web site.