Frogs are a fairly unique animal when it comes to mating since they reproduce sexually, by amplexus, and in water. Although this is how most frog species reproduce, they tend to mate at different times of year depending on the species and environment.
Frogs generally mate once per year between March and July in high-latitude parts of the world, and during the Wet season in low-latitude areas. Frogs living in tropical climates may reproduce multiple times at any time of the year. When frogs mate generally depends on the species, and environment.
Here is a summary of when frogs mate depending on species and location:
| Species | Location in the USA | Mating season |
| Boreal Chorus Frog | Northern USA Canada | May to June |
| Mink Frog | Northern USA Canada | May to July |
| Pickerel Frog | Northern USA Canada | March to May |
| Spring Peeper | Northern USA Canada | April to June |
| Wood Frog | Northern USA Canada | March to May |
| American Bullfrog | Northern USA Canada | May to June |
| Green Frog | Northern USA Canada | March to June |
| Northern Cricket Frog | Northern USA Canada | June to July |
| Barking Tree Frog | Southern USA | March to April |
| Bird Voiced Tree Frog | Southern USA | April to August |
| Gopher Frog | Southern USA | October to April |
| Little Grass Frog | Southern USA | January to September |
| Pig Frog | Southern USA | May to August |
| Southern Cricket Frog | Southern USA | February to October |
You will generally know it is mating season when male frogs start calling females with long trills, chirps or deep croaks. Each species has its specific. Once together and in water, the male frog climbs onto of the female in an amplexus position by gripping her under the arms. They remain in this position until the female releases her eggs. As each egg is released, the male fertilizes them.
Although this is the most common way frogs reproduce, especially in North America, some frogs are born very differently. Learn more about how frogs are born in our guide.
Find out what to do about loud frogs at night in this guide on our blog.
1. Boreal Chorus Frog: May to June
Boreal Chorus Frogs breed once yearly, early in the Spring generally from early May through June. The months in which they breed depend on weather, elevation, and latitude. They may call during the day and also at night, where the adults congregate to breed in ponds.
Spawning may occur over two or three weeks at a site, but breeding may continue until early Summer in wet weather. The eggs transform over 10 to 14 days, and the tadpoles reach metamorphosis in about two months.
2. Mink Frog: May to July
You can find this species in Minnesota, Michigan, and Northern New York. The males attract by calling, and choruses increase in Intensity through the night and peak before dawn. May to July is the breeding season for mink frogs.
The females lay 500 to 4,000 eggs in loose clusters which are attached to submerged vegetation. The eggs are brown to black on top with a lighter underside surrounded by jelly. They hatch in less than two weeks, and larvae derbies metamorphose under 1 to 2 years and reach maturity 2 to 3 years after.
3. Green Frog: March to June
Green Frogs generally reproduce once ponds melt and the water warms up around March to June. Females release a single clutch containing 1,000 to 7,000 eggs that get attached to submerged vegetation.
4. Pickerel Frog: March to May
Pickerel Frogs breed in late March to early May. The sound of calling males is low and snore-like and lasts only about two seconds. The females lay spherical egg masses attached to tree branches in permanent or temporary ponds. These masses contain 700 to 3,00 eggs.
The eggs are bi-colored, the upper surface black or brown and yellow beneath. The eggs hatch in 11 to 21 days and tadpoles metamorphose within 2 to 3 months (CTNF).
5. Spring Peeper: April to June
Spring Peeper are generally one of the first frogs to breed during early spring to June (depending on the region). They begin breeding in the first year after they hatch. Most breeding occurs in April, but males call till June. Females lay about 750 to 1,300 eggs.
The eggs are laid in small clusters, usually in rows attached to submerged vegetation. The eggs transform into tadpoles by about 4 to 15 days. They undergo metamorphosis for 45 to 90 days, depending on the availability of water. Spring peepers are about three years old by the time they reach sexual maturity.
6. Wood Frog: March to May
Their breeding season begins with the first warm Spring rain and runs from March through May when they visit vernal pools. Females lay egg masses of 1,000 to 3,000 eggs which flatten and float to the surface. The egg are coated in green jelly, which serves as camouflage. Wood Frog eggs generally transform into tadpoles within a week and a month depending on the temperature.
7. Northern Cricket Frog: June to July
Northern Cricket Frogs are reproductively active for 3 to 10 years. After mating between June and July, eggs hatch into tadpoles in 4 days. Tadpoles feed on algae and zooplankton while they slowly develop.
8. Barking Tree Frog: March to April
Barking Tree Frogs mate on rainy spring nights. When spawning occurs, over 2,000 eggs ranging 1.0 to 1.8mm in diameter are released. The eggs transform into tadpoles within a week.
9. Bird Voiced Tree Frog: April to August
Bird Voiced Tree Frogs mate from late Spring until summer in freshwater ways like river valleys, wooded swamps, and beaver ponds. Females produce between 400 to 800 eggs which transform into tadpoles within 2 days and metamorphose in 30 days. Bird Voiced Tree Frogs reach reproductive maturity between 2 and 4 years.
10. American Bullfrog: May to June
American Bullfrogs reach sexual maturity after 3 to 5 years and can lay up to 25,000 eggs. American Bullfrogs generally lay eggs once per year from May to June. One of the reason Bullfrogs are so common across North America, and are invasive in some areas, is because they can lay so many eggs.
11. Gopher Frog: October to April
Gopher Frogs breed between October and April and may breed year-round in Florida. Females lay one cluster, which contains thousands of eggs per breeding season. The eggs transform into tadpoles within 4 to 5 days, and tadpoles metamorphose in 7 months.
12. Little Grass Frog: January to September
They have a long mating season which lasts from January until September. As a result, you can hear their high-pitched insect-like call all through the year. Eggs are laid individually at the bottom of ponds or on vegetation in shallow water. Tadpoles become adults after about 10 weeks.
13. Pig Frog: May to August
Pig Frog Mating season lasts from mid-Spring until mid-Summer in the Southern United States. Males emit a pig-like grunting sound when calling, which is one of the reasons for their name. Females lay as many as 10,000 eggs attached to pickerelweed stems and can be found among wet grasses. Eggs are laid in large masses on the water surface and transform into tadpoles within 2 to 3 days.
14. Southern Cricket Frog: February to October
Southern Cricket Frogs reproduce from February to October in parts of the South West United States. They are a more rare exception in North America where most frogs mate once per year, these frogs mate 2 to 3 times per year. The eggs are laid in clusters on substrates or attached to submerged vegetation. The eggs transform in about 4 days, and tadpoles complete metamorphose after 90 to 100 days.
More About Frog Mating
This blog is all about frogs and we have multiple articles about how they mate, reproduce and lay eggs. Learn more in our frog guides below:
