Blanchard's cricket frog
Acris crepitans blanchardi

The cricket frog is found in old fields, swamps, and prairies where it breeds in sluggish creeks, temporary pools, and preferentially in permanent ponds or swamps. They seldom wander far from permanent water. Their olive-brown to greenish coloration blends well with vegetation and makes them difficult to observe. Small warts are scattered about the back and sides producing a granular appearance, and there is a characteristic jagged stripe on the inside, concealed surface of the thigh (Fig. 8). Cricket frogs are one of Ohio's smallest species of frogs, reaching only 32 mm in total length, and their digital discs are scarcely wider than their toes. They are poor climbers but excellent jumpers and make astonishingly long leaps. Male cricket frogs have a yellowish wash over the throat during breeding season while the throats of females are white.

Fig. 8. Blanchard's cricket frog

• Small warts are scattered about the back and sides of cricket frogs producing skin with granular appearance and texture.

• A jagged stripe on the concealed surface of the thigh is characteristic.

•  triangle positioned between the eyes is usually present.

• Very small digital discs are present on all digits.

Cricket frogs are found in the western two-thirds of the state. They emerge from hibernation on land in late February and may be active until mid-November in southern Ohio. The breeding season is prolonged and extends from early May through early July. Eggs are attached singly to vegetation below the water's surface or are laid in small packets numbering about six as a surface film. A female may lay a clutch of 250-400 eggs, each with a diameter of 2.3 mm. The eggs swell to 5 mm soon after being deposited. Transformation into small frogs 15 mm in length occurs from late July to early September after tadpoles have reached a length of 40-50 mm.

The high frequency clicking sound produced by the male is comparable to the sound resulting from rapidly tapping two small stones together (Fig. 9).

	Fig. 9. Call of the Blanchard's cricket frog

 Call of the Blanchard's cricket frog (44 seconds, 345 KB)
 Excerpt (9 seconds, 71 KB)

• The call of the cricket frog consists of high frequency clicking sounds given in rapid succession and is comparable to the sound resulting from rapidly tapping two small stones together.
• The dominant frequency of the call in the spectrogram is 3200 Hz, and the call duration is less than 0.1 second.