After the first warm rains in early spring the male frogs are out, filling the air with their amorous calls. Here are five spring-breeding tree frogs found in Illinois!
Three of these species—Boreal, Western, and Upland Chorus Frogs—look quite similar, if not identical, and can only be distinguished by their calls and DNA. The Boreal Chorus Frog is found in roughly 80% of Illinois; it is what most people hear calling from their ditches and puddles. The Western Chorus Frog is found in southern Illinois, and the Upland Chorus Frog is only found at the southernmost tip of the state.
