Frogs are a characteristic part of the local fauna and are represented by a large number of species. 7 frog species are native to Germany, which are presented to you in this article.
In a nutshell
- Frogs colored differently
- usually green or brown
- jerky locomotion
- smooth, moist skin
- are under protection
7 native frog species
Frogs look very similar at first glance, but if you take a closer look, you will see clear differences, for example in size or colour. This also applies to these frog species native to Germany.
Common frog (Rana temporaria)
| synonyms | March Frog, Baptism Frog |
| distribution | Northern and Central Europe without Iceland up to Siberia and Kazakhstan, in Southern Europe only in the north of Italy, Spain and Greece |
| habitat | small standing and running water, shallow, sunny, after reproduction shrubs, bushes, small trees, bogs, city parks and gardens |
| height | 7 to 11 cm |
| base coloring | yellow-brown, red-brown, black-brown, females with yellow belly and red marbling, males with off-white belly |
| sample | irregularly spotted black, dark nose stripe up to tympanic membrane, dark brown temporal spot, hind legs dark cross-striped |
| body shape | blunt snout, heel hump small and soft, 2 clearly recognizable glandular ridges on the back |
| reproductive time | February to March |
| courtship call | deep rumbling or growling |
| spawn | 1,000 to 4,400 eggs, spawning clumps can cover several square meters |
| food | Spiders, insects, isopods, snails, rare small mammals |
| protection status | Strictly protected according to the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG), protected throughout Europe according to the Habitats Directive |
Notice: Large fines in the four to five-digit range can be expected if native frogs are caught, injured or killed because they are protected.
Lesser Edible Frog (Pelophylax lessonae)
| distribution | Central Europe and northern Italy to Russia, not in Germany in coastal areas |
| habitat | small bodies of standing water, rich in vegetation, moors, ponds, pools, ditches, garden ponds |
| height | 5.5 to 6.5 cm (females), 4.5 to 5.5 cm (males) |
| base coloring | grass-green, black-brown, green-yellow (in males during the mating season) |
| sample | mottled brown or black, light green topline, white vocal sacs |
| body shape | Pointed snout, red glands, short lower legs, large rounded heel hump |
| reproductive time | Early March to late July or early August |
| courtship call | purring, quite quietly |
| spawn | 600 to 3,000 eggs in total, laid in small spawning clumps of a few hundred eggs |
| food | Spiders, insects, worms, snails, small mammals |
| protection status | Strictly protected according to BNatSchG, Europe-wide protected according to the Habitats Directive |
Tree frog (Hyla arborea)
| distribution | Central Europe except Italy and southern France to southern Sweden, through Turkey to the Caspian Sea, absent in the UK and Ireland |
| habitat | Standing waters rich in reeds, after the spawning season alluvial forests, hedges, city parks, gardens and trees |
| height | 3 to 5 cm (females slightly larger) |
| base coloring | intense green, yellow-grey underside |
| sample | dark streaks from tympanic membrane over side of body to thighs |
| body shape | blunt snout, large sac, somewhat rounder than other frogs, fingers with adhesive discs |
| reproductive time | mid-April to June |
| courtship call | "äpp", in intervals of 15 to 30 calls |
| spawn | 30 to 100 in misshapen spawning balls |
| food | insects, spiders |
| protection status | Strictly protected according to BNatSchG, Europe-wide protected according to the Habitats Directive |
Moor Frog (Rana arvalis)
| distribution | Central Europe without France, Northern Europe without Norway, via Russia to Siberia |
| habitat | Moors, swamps, wet meadows, broken forests, permanently wet necessary |
| height | 5 to 8 cm (females larger) |
| base coloring | light or dark brown, males often bright sky blue to blue-purple during mating season, white belly |
| sample | Spotted reddish brown or black, dark brown temporal patch, light dorsal band, black marbled flanks, pattern can vary greatly |
| body shape | short and pointed snout, quite slender, white-edged glandular ridges, hard heel hump, arched, high |
| reproductive time | March to late April |
| courtship call | "uog", reminiscent of a bubbling |
| spawn | 500 to 3,000 eggs, only one spawning ball per female with a widely varying number of eggs, is sometimes confused with other frog spawn |
| food | Insects, spiders, isopods, worms, snails, centipedes and bipeds |
| protection status | Strictly protected according to BNatSchG, Europe-wide protected according to the Habitats Directive |
Marsh Frog (Pelophylax ridibundus)
| distribution | Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East and Central Asia, missing in Germany in the Mecklenburg Lake District |
| habitat | Lakes, river meadows, marshes live in and around water all year round |
| height | 10 to 16 cm (females significantly larger) |
| base coloring | green or brown, light belly |
| sample | Green back line, inner thighs marbled white and black, upper and lower sides darkly spotted |
| body shape | Pointed and long snout, very long legs, small heel hump with a flat shape |
| reproductive time | April to June |
| courtship call | strong "oäk" to defend territory, mating call a melodic "eck-keck-keck-keck-keck" |
| spawn | up to 16,000 eggs, spawning balls below the water surface |
| food | Insects, worms, spiders, other frogs and their tadpoles |
| protection status | specially protected according to BNatSchG and BArtSchV |
Agile Frog (Rana dalmatina)
| distribution | France across Central Europe to Turkey and the southern Black Sea, in Germany only in southern Germany, central Germany, the Lüneburg Heath and the islands of Rügen and Darß |
| habitat | Forest meadows, mixed forests and forest edges with a high volume of standing water |
| height | up to 6.5 cm (males), up to 9 cm (females) |
| base coloring | light brown, grey-brown, reddish brown, yellow-white belly |
| sample | Temple spot triangular, legs with dark brown transverse bands |
| body shape | pointed snout, slender, long limbs, strongly pronounced glandular ridges |
| reproductive time | February to April, earlier than other frog species |
| courtship call | about 12 seconds of "weighed…weighed…weighed", quite softly |
| spawn | 400 to 1,800 eggs, at a water depth of 5 to 40 cm, laid on branches, roots and other parts of plants |
| food | Insects, worms, snails |
| protection status | Strictly protected according to BNatSchG, Europe-wide protected according to the Habitats Directive |
Notice: The jumping frog lives up to its name as it can jump 100 to 200 cm. It jumps the farthest of all native frog species.
Pond Frog (Pelophylax kl. esculentus)
| distribution | France across Central Europe to Russia, absent in Friesland, rarer in high and low mountain ranges |
| habitat | only still water, sunny, lots of vegetation |
| height | up to 9 cm (males), up to 11 cm (females) |
| base coloring | grass green, white belly |
| sample | light green midline, belly mottled gray or black, back mottled dark |
| body shape | Pronounced glandular ridges, pointed snout, slender, heel bumps of varying degrees |
| reproductive time | May to June |
| courtship call | clear rattling or crackling, quite loud, long drawn out |
| spawn | up to 1,000 eggs, in smaller spawning balls |
| food | Insects, worms, snails, crustaceans, dragonfly larvae |
| protection status | specially protected according to BNatSchG and BArtSchV |
| particularities | Hybrid of marsh frog and edible frog, characteristics of one parent species may predominate |
frequently asked Questions
Is the bullfrog a native frog species?No, the North American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) is an introduced species that can be found sporadically in Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia. Specimens kept as pets have been released and have subsequently multiplied. Bullfrogs are considered a dangerous neozoon because they displace native frogs.
How loud do frogs croak?Frogs can be recognized by their characteristic croaking, which lasts a long time, especially during the breeding season, and can be uncomfortably loud. Depending on the type, volumes of up to 90 dB can be reached, which corresponds to a lawn mower or a motorcycle starting. For this reason, frogs in the garden pond are often perceived as a nuisance.
Which other frogs are native to Germany?In addition to the native frogs, there are also 5 toad (Bufonidae) and 2 toad species (Bombina) that you can find in Germany. Toads are easily distinguished from frogs by their warty skin and more robust physique. These characteristics also apply to toads, only they are smaller than toads and have a brightly colored abdomen.