These records will provide a sensitive index upon which to determine current status and to follow population trends. They will also provide the baseline information necessary for conducting intensive, follow-up surveys on species that appear to be seriously declining in the state. Characteristics of Michigan Frogs and Toads Male frogs and toads, like male songbirds, advertise their presence to females by singing. Also like songbirds, each species has a distinctive call. Unlike songbirds, however, there are only 11 species of frogs and 2 species of toads in Michigan.
Most anurans are generally present throughout the state, though a few have a limited distribution.
The green frog, wood frog, leopard frog, pickerel frog, chorus frog, spring peeper, gray tree frogs, and American toad are found throughout Michigan. The bullfrog is found throughout the Lower Peninsula and in parts of the Upper Peninsula. The cricket frog occurs only in the Lower Peninsula, and Fowler's toad is found only in the southern and western portions of the Lower Peninsula. Even though some of Michigan's anurans spend part of their life cycle on land, all 13 species require water for breeding. Some breed in the temporary waters that accumulate in agricultural field depressions, while others require permanent bodies of water.