List of amphibians of Minnesota


List of Minnesota amphibians lists all of the salamanders, frogs, and toads found in Minnesota.

Salamanders

There are eight species of salamanders in Minnesota.
Common nameScientific nameStatusDistributionSizePicture
Spotted salamanderAmbystoma maculatumSpecial ConcernPine and Carlton Counties6-8 inches
Blue-spotted salamanderAmbystoma lateraleLeast concernThroughout the state, excluding southwestern prairies4-5.5 inches
Western tiger salamanderAmbystoma mavortiumLeast concernExtreme western Minnesota6-8 inches
Eastern tiger salamanderAmbystoma tigrinumLeast concernThroughout the state, excluding the northeast Arrowhead Region6-8 inches
Four-toed salamanderHemidactylium scutatumSpecial concernMille Lacs north to Itasca County,
east to southern St. Louis County
6-8 inches
Common mudpuppyNecturus maculosusLeast concernScattered throughout, excluding the Arrowhead Region.8-13 inches
Central newtNotophthalmus viridescensLeast concernScattered populations,
absent from southwestern prairies
2.5-4 inches
Red-backed salamanderPlethodon cinereusLeast concernThroughout northeast Minnesota6-8 inches

Frogs

There are eleven species of frogs in Minnesota.
Common nameScientific nameStatusDistributionSizePicture
Blanchard's cricket frogAcris blanchardiLeast concern, endangered in MinnesotaSoutheast and extreme southwest Minnesota1-1.25 inches
Cope's gray treefrogHyla chrysoscelisLeast concernThroughout the state, excluding northeast1-2 inches
Gray treefrogHyla versicolorLeast concernThroughout the state, excluding southwest1-2 inches
Spring peeperPseudacris cruciferLeast concernThroughout the state, excluding southwest~1 inch
Boreal chorus frogPseudacris maculataLeast concernThroughout the state1-1.25 inches
BullfrogLithobates catesbeianusLeast concernNative only to Houston and Winona Counties, introduced throughout southern Minnesota5-7 inches
Green frogLithobates clamitansLeast concernThroughout the state, excluding southwestern prairies2-4 inches
Pickerel frogLithobates palustrisLeast concernSoutheastern Minnesota1.75-3 inches
Northern leopard frogLithobates pipiensLeast concernThroughout the state2-3.5 inches
Mink frogLithobates septentrionalisLeast concernMinnesota north of Twin Cities2-4 inches
Wood frogLithobates sylvaticusLeast concernThroughout the state, excluding the far southwestern counties2-3 inches

Toads

There are three species of toads in Minnesota.
Common nameScientific nameStatusDistributionSizePicture
American toadAnaxyrus americanusLeast concernThroughout the state2-3.5 inches
Great Plains toadAnaxyrus cognatusSpecial ConcernFar western Minnesota2-3 inches
Canadian toadAnaxyrus hemiophrysLeast concernFar western Minnesota, north from Yellow Medicine County2-3.5 inces