Wood frog Facts for Kids
Lithobates sylvaticus · lih-THOB-uh-teez sil-VAT-ih-kus
It can freeze in winter, then thaw out and hop away in spring.
- 🏃 speed: not yet checked
- ⚖️ weight: not yet checked
- 📏 2 to 3 in5.1 to 7.6 cm1 long
- 🎂 lifespan: not yet checked
- 🍽️ bugs
- Doing fine (Least Concern)
The wood frog is a small brown frog with a dark mask on its face. It lives in the forest. In winter it freezes, and in spring it thaws and hops again!
Wood frogs spend winter under fallen leaves, where parts of their bodies freeze. Their hearts stop beating and they stop breathing until the spring warmth thaws them. A natural sugar in their bodies keeps the ice from harming their cells.
Wood frogs are among the first frogs to call in spring, with sounds like quacking ducks, and they gather in woodland pools that fill with melted snow. Their freezing trick lets them live farther north than any other frog in North America. Most of the year, wood frogs live on the forest floor rather than in the water. Their brown color matches dead leaves, which helps them hide.
How big is a wood frog?
Wood frog in numbers
| Length | 2 to 3 in5.1 to 7.6 cm1 |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | no checked number yet |
| Weight | no checked number yet |
| Top speed | no checked number yet |
| How long it lives | no checked number yet |
| What it eats | insects, spiders, slugs and worms |
| Where it lives | damp forests across Canada, Alaska and the northern and eastern United States |
| What kind | Amphibians |
| Is it in danger? | Doing fine (Least Concern)2 |
A number we couldn’t find on a page we trust says so, instead of guessing.
Wow!
- Its heart stops in winter, and starts again in spring.
- Its call sounds a bit like a duck.
- It lives farther north than any other frog in North America.
Compare the wood frog
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Books about the wood frog, free at the library
Ask a grown-up to tap the button: it shows where to borrow a book about the wood frog for free.
Where these numbers come from
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, Wood frog (Q4666317), checked 30 October 2026.