This species is mostly present in open areas, generally avoiding moist soils. It inhabits clear spaces in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests (and their edges), groves, steppes, fields, meadows, sand dunes, heath land, gravel pits, parks and gardens. It may occur in modified habitats such as rice fields (in Italy). It is a highly specialised burrowing and nocturnal species, with a narrow ecological niche. Due to their secretive behaviour (nocturnal activity, weak underwater breeding call and cryptic coloration) their life histories are not well documented, and overall there is a scarcity of information (Cogălniceanu et al. 2013). Spawning sites are mostly permanent, small still waterbodies including ditches, ponds and lakes.

This is a lowland species found throughout much of the plains and hilly regions of Europe, including from eastern Netherlands, eastern Belgium and eastern France, east through Germany, Denmark, Sweden (northern limits) and Central Europe and Eastern Europe to Russia. In the east, the contact zone with Pelobates vespertinus is well delineated from the Kursk region in Russia to the Black Sea coast (Dufresnes et al. 2019). It ranges from sea level up to 675 m asl. There is a very isolated subpopulation in Argenton-sur-Creuse in central France, and another isolated subpopulation (the endemic subspecies, Pelobates fuscus insubricus) in the Po Valley of northern Italy.

Conservation Actions In-Place
This species is present in many protected areas, and protected by national legislation in most countries in its range. It is listed on Appendix II of the Bern Convention, and there is an Action Plan for this species in the Bern Convention. It is listed on Annex IV and Pelobates fuscus insubricus is listed on Annex II of the EU Natural Habitats Directive as a priority species. The species is recorded in a number of national and sub-national Red Data Books and Lists (e.g. Near Threatened in Czechia - Chobot and Něměc 2017). In parts of this species' range, mitigation measures to reduce road kill have been established. A conservation programme is in place for the isolated subpopulation in central France. An action plan was prepared by Andreone (2001) for the Italian subpopulations. Several EU LIFE projects were also dedicated strictly to this species for the restoration of habitats and increasing subpopulation sizes in Italy, Germany, Estonia and Denmark. It benefits from pond creation and responds well to habitat restoration (Rannap et al. 2009, Magnus and Rannap 2019). In Sweden 99% of the subpopulation was lost between 1959–1989, however, the species is now recovering due to reintroduction and population augmentation. It is subject to ex situ conservation breeding programmes in Germany (ten Hagen et al. 2016) and the Netherlands (Crombaghs et al. 2015).

Conservation Needed
Subpopulations benefit from pond creation and respond well to habitat restoration, and these actions should continue.