True Frogs - American Bullfrog
Bullfrogs are reported to have been consumed by the Richibucto Micmac (Mi’kmaq), who collected them from nearby ponds [4], the Onondaga Iroquois [5-7], and other Micmac [8]. The Micmac did not particularly like frogs, but ate bullfrogs when no other food was obtainable [8].
The Micmac cooked bullfrogs by frying them in fat, or boiling them [8]. The Onondaga Iroquois first skinned the bullfrogs, put them onto pointed sticks to broil, and salted them before eating [6, 7]. The Richibucto Micmac preferred the legs of the bullfrog [4].
True Frogs - Northern Leopard Frog
The Micmac (Mi’kmaq) [8] and Onondaga Iroquois [6, 7] consumed leopard frog. The Micmac preferred to prepare leopard frogs by frying them in fat, or boiling them [8]. The Onondaga Iroquois chose to first skin the leopard frogs, put them onto pointed sticks to broil, and salted them before eating [7].
Amphibians/Frogs/True Frogs/Green Frog
The Richibucto Micmac (Mi’kmaq) were reported to have consumed green frogs [4]. The Onondaga Iroquois also consumed green frogs, as evidenced from faunal remains at the Furnace Brook site [5].
True Frogs - Wood Frog
Onondaga Iroquois consumed wood frogs, eaten whole, added to soup or fried in butter. Wood frogs were also used to make a medicinal broth [6, 7].
References
1. Johnson OW: Flathead and Kootenay, the Rivers, the Tribes and the Region's Traders. Glendale, Calif.: A.H. Clark Co.; 1969.
2. Speck FG, Hassrick RB, Carpenter ES: Rappahannock Taking Devices: Traps, Hunting and Fishing. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Anthropological Society; 1946.
3. Cruikshank J. In: Athapaskan Women: Lives and Legends. edn. Ottawa: National Musem of Man; 1979: 26-41.
4. Speck FG, Dexter RW: Utilization of animals and plants by the Micmac Indians of New Brunswick. Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences 1951, 41(8):250-259.
5. Tuck JA: Onondaga Iroquois PreHistory: A Study in Settlement Archaeology, vol. 1st edition. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press; 1971.
6. Waugh FW: Iroquois Foods and Food Preparation, vol. No. 12; Anthropological Series. Ottawa: Government Printing Bureau; 1916.
7. Waugh FW. In: Iroquois Foods and Food Preparation. edn. Ottawa: Department of Mines. Government Printing Bureau; 1973.
8. Stoddard NB: Micmac Foods, vol. re-printed from the Journal of Education February 1966. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Halifax Natural Science Museum; 1970.
True frogs - American Bullfrog
The American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is the largest North American frog, measuring up to 20 cm long, and is one of the most familiar frog species in North America. They are native to south-eastern Canada and eastern United States, but were introduced throughout western North America, threatening many native frog species through both competition and predation. Bullfrogs are most often found in or close to permanent bodies of water. Their body varies in colour, but their head is always green and they have no obvious ridge on their back like the green frog (L. clamitans) and the northern leopard frog (L. pipiens). Bullfrogs are named after their bull-like rumm call.
True frogs - Northern Leopard Frog
The northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens) is a widespread medium-sized frog, measuring a little over 10 cm long, found from Newfoundland to British Columbia and from Maine to Washington. Northern leopard frogs have a light stripe on the upper jaw, two well-developed ridges running from the eyes to the lower back, and are often marked with rounded dark spots on the back, sides, and legs. They are found almost anywhere, sometimes away from water like in woodlands or meadows. Their snore-like rattling call best distinguishes them.
True frogs - Green Frog
The green frog (Lithobates clamitans) is a medium-sized frog, rarely measuring more than 10 cm long, found throughout eastern North America, from south-eastern Canada to the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. In the northern part of their range, green frogs are more brownish than green with darker markings, sometimes appearing blue because of a lacking colour pigment. They have two well-developed ridges running from the eyes to the lower back and their eardrums are distinctively larger than their eyes. Green frogs are common in and around any permanent shallow water bodies and are recognized by their banjo-like gunk call.
True frogs - Wood Frog
The wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) is a medium-sized frog widespread across woodlands of northern North America, including all Canadian provinces and territories. It is the only amphibian found above the Arctic Circle. Wood frogs have adapted to cold by producing anti-freeze chemicals. Their colour varies between different shades of brown with a dark raccoon-like face mask widening from the nose to include the eardrum. They have a duck-like quacking call.
Reference
Elliot L, Gerhardt C, Davidson C: The frogs and toads of North America:a comprehensive guide to their identification, behavior, and calls. New York: Houghton Mifflin; 2009.