Where Do Frogs Live? (Surprising Truths)

I loved looking for frogs as a kid and discovering all the cool places where they live. I still enjoy finding frogs in their natural habitat today and have included many photos I took of locations where frogs live in this article.

Aquatic frogs generally live in calm areas of freshwater lakes (bayous), as well as in ponds, marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens. Toads live on land, and tree frogs live in or around trees close to freshwater. Some frogs live in the Rainforest or in the desert.

Frogs live all over the globe except on some remote islands and on the most extreme poles of the planet. With over 7,500 known frog species worldwide, a wide variety of frogs live in a wide variety of places.

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Here is a quick summary of where frogs live:

I will cover a number of places where you can find frogs living. I also included photos of frogs I found in these locations. Learn more about ideal frog habitats on our blog.

🍎 Teachers: Get our Frog Habitat Lesson

Frogs Live Near Lakes

Frogs may live near calm, highly vegetated ares of large or small freshwater lakes. Most frogs that live on the banks of lakes are larger species such as American Bullfrogs, Leopard Frogs, and Green Frogs.

In North America, many frog species live near the Great Lakes as well as on smaller lakes throughout the continent.

You generally won’t find frogs in areas of lakes with a lot of current or movement. Frogs prefer calm areas of lakes which are generally found around the banks and in bayous.

Calm water and vegetation help frogs hide from predators and anchors down their eggs so they avoid floating away in a current.

Most frogs do not live in saltwater lakes because they breathe through their skin and salt would dehydrate their bodies and irritate their sensitive respiratory system.

Frogs Live Near Ponds

Natural ponds and frog-friendly man-made ponds are excellent habitats for frogs when they contain an abundance of shaded areas, plants, bugs, and few predators like fish.

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Some frogs like Spring Peeper specifically seek out small ponds that do not have fish in them to reproduce.

Frogs also enjoy man-made, frog-friendly backyard ponds. My parents installed a small pond in their yard and it naturally attracted local frogs.

You can easily attract frogs to your backyard by creating the ideal habitat for a them. All you need is a small pond and abundant vegetation for them to hide.

Frogs Live Near Creeks & Streams

More often than not, I find toads on the land near streams and creeks.

Toads are born in water but live on land as adults and enjoy the humidity that these bodies of water provide in their natural habitats.

But you will not find frogs in fast-paced creeks, streams, or rivers since frogs require calm water to survive and reproduce.

Frogs prefer calm water to avoid their eggs being carried down stream. Their eggs need to be able to anchor to vegetation or sediment and not be swept away by the current.

Frogs Live in Marshes & Swamps

Frogs thrive in marshes and swamps that contain an abundance of water, vegetation, and prey.

Marshes are grassy wetlands, and swamps are bodies of water surrounded by trees.  

Frogs much prefer freshwater marshes to tidal saltwater marshes for reasons discussed in the “Lakes” section of this article.

Frogs also like swamps, including tree frogs that can benefit from the presence of water and trees which are necessary in their survival.

The marsh is my favourite place to observe frogs in their natural habitat since a wide variety of frog species enjoy the living conditions that marshes provide.

Frogs Live in Bogs

Frogs thrive in wet, muddy bogs that contain decaying vegetation that naturally produce many places to shelter and attract an abundance of bugs to eat.

Bogs are commonly found in Canada, Northern Europe, Russia and a few of the Southern States in the United States. But they are delicate ecosystems that need to be protected in order to continue to thrive in the future.

Florida, for example, has a specific frog that lives in this environment called the Florida Bog Frog. Unfortunately, the Florida Bog Frog is an endangered species due to human activity as a military base was setup on 90% of the bog. Since the USA considers “US national security has priority over wildlife” this species that could go extinct. Bogs are rare ecosystems that need to be protected.

Frogs Live On Land

You may also find frogs on land but they generally will still be close to a body of water.  Although frogs can spend some time on land, they require water or humidity to survive.

You can mainly find toads on land since they are land-dwelling animals as adults. Toads only return to the bodies of water where they were born when it is mating season in order to reproduce (CTNF).

However, most aquatic frogs prefer being in water to stay hydrated and breathe through their skin.

Tree frogs can generally thrive on land since they spend some time out of water and in or around trees, but they still require humidity to survive.

Some Frogs Live in Trees

Some frogs live in trees and thrive in this environment that can provide them plenty of shelter and humidity. Tree Frogs can be found in many parts of the world including North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Arboreal frogs, or frogs that live in trees, are generally small in size and have padded toes that allow them to climb and easily stick to trees and leaves.

Common tree frogs include Wood Frogs, Spring Peepers, Australian Green Tree Frogs, Red Eyed Tree Frogs, and Gray Tree Frogs.

Tree frogs may live on leaves, branches, in burrowing holes around trees, or at the base of trees on the forest floor.

Frogs Live in The Rainforest

The rainforest is home to thousands of different types of frogs that thrive in wet, humid, hot conditions. Rainforest frogs are generally active all year round.

This delicate environment needs to be protected as it is disappearing due to human activity.

Rainforests are the world’s oldest ecosystems and are home to hundreds of animals and plants. Frogs thrive in this wet, humid and hot environment that allows them to be active all year round and not have to hibernate or estivate like most frogs that live in the northern hemisphere.

Many rainforest frogs live in trees, high off the ground and away from predators and are active in the late evening or at night when their main predators are not around.

But the Rainforest is disappearing at alarming rates with over 20% having been cut down to make way for agriculture. This is killing frogs as well as other animals and plants.

Frogs Live in The Desert

You may be surprised to know that some frogs actually live in the desert.

But we made it clear that frogs require water to survive and thrive, so how and on Earth could they live in the dry, hot desert? 

Frogs that live in the desert have adapted to life there by burrowing in the sand during the day, and coming out at night.

These frogs may also estivate during the hot season, and come out during the wet or monsoon seasons to reproduce.

The sun is much too hot for frogs during the day, especially in the desert. So they often burrow in the sand to find moisture and wait until night to come out and eat.

Frogs Live All Over Earth

Frogs live everywhere on Planet Earth except on some remote islands or in Antarctica. Some frogs were not native to locations where they can be found now because they were introduced by humans.

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For example, Cane Toads were not native to Australia and were introduced by humans in the 1930’s to help kill off beetles that were eating away at cane plants.

But cane are very tall plants, and toads could not climb to reach the bugs. Instead, they fed on local wildlife and are now an invasive species in Australia, Florida, and in many other parts of the world.

Frogs Live in People’s Backyards

You may find frogs or toads in your back yard or garden if it has the right environment for them including water, food and shelter. Frogs can be excellent allies in backyards and gardens to control pests and mice.

If your yard has a large enough pond or fountain structure with vegetation and bugs, it will probably attract frogs.

If this is something you would like, try to keep your pets away. Cats and dogs are predators to frogs and can get sick if they lick or ingest them.

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Toads love people’s backyards because humans generally tend to leave out things that attract toads including man-made items that retain moisture, long grass, piles of leaves, garbage, pet food and water.

Toads like urban areas because of the abundance of insects humans attract for them to eat with things like garbage and bright lights at night. 

But you may find frogs living in places they should not be and may want to take action to save them.

Places Frogs Should Not Live

Frogs should not live in polluted areas, in a backyard swimming pool, in window wells, in people’s homes or in cars since these are not ideal habitats for frogs.

• Frogs Should Not Live in Your Pool: If you find frog spawn in your pool, be sure to safely remove the frogs or the eggs contact your local Wildlife Department to understand what you should legally do in your jurisdiction. You can find the phone numbers to call in this article on our blog. It can be common to find frog spawn, tadpoles or frogs in your swimming pool, especially if your home was built near where the frogs used to live, or if your yard is ideal for them. However, chlorine can kill frogs and their offspring so they should be removed as soon as possible. Learn more about what to do in this detailed post on our blog.

• Frogs Should Not Live in Window Wells: If they have a rocky bottom, are facing South, are in full sun most of the day, lack water, and a way for the toads to escape. Toads often fall into window wells by accident and can easily be helped out.

• Frogs Should Not Live in Polluted Areas: As discussed previously, frogs need clean water or water that is adapted to their habitat requirements. The water can contain phytoplankton, microscopic bugs, algae, and decaying organic matter, but it should not contain man-made chemicals or corrosive substances or they could die.

• Frogs Should Not Live in Your House: Having a pet frog is not for everyone. Not only that, but having a frog as a pet can be pretty expensive (probably more than you think). Other than that, frogs often enter people’s homes unexpectedly and you should find it and release it for the safety of the frog and your family (including pets).

• Frogs Should Not Live in Your Car: If your car has humidity, shade and bugs, frogs may be attracted to it since it provides some of their habitat needs. However, in or near your car is not a sustainable location for frogs to live and they need to be safely removed.

As we have seen through the article, frogs generally live near bodies of water or in trees and thrive in humid environments with a lot of food to eat and few predators. 

However, human activity is tampering with some of these environments like bogs and the Rainforest causing some frogs to be endangered. It is very important for us to care for our planet and these fragile ecosystems to protect all frogs in nature.

Common Questions About Where Frogs Live

Where Are Frogs Located? Frogs are located all over the world except on some remote islands, and can be found on every continent except Antarctica.

What Habitats do Frogs Live in? Frogs live in habitats that have bodies of water like lakes, ponds, creaks and streams, in wetlands like marshes, swamps, and bogs, and in humid environments like in the Rainforest. The habitat has to be safe to reproduce and have food for frogs to thrive.

Why Can’t Frogs Live in Saltwater? Generally, most frogs cannot live in saltwater which would dehydrate, poison or kill them if their salt intake is too high. Frogs breathe through their skin and salt hinders that process. Frogs may also ingest insects living in saltwater which can increase their salt levels, poison and kill them.

Sources

Elliott, A.B., and Karunakaran, L. (1974). ”Diet of Rana cancrivora in fresh water and brackish water environments.” Journal of Zoology, London, 174, 203-215.

Hammerson, Geoffrey; Jackson, Dale; Palis, John and Moler, Paul (2004). Lithobates okaloosa. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2.

Rainforest Facts, Disappearing Rainforest.