The species is present in coniferous (fir, spruce, larch, etc.), mixed and deciduous forests (through which it penetrates the tundra and forest steppe zones), shrublands and grasslands. It is found most frequently in open, wet places such as wet meadows and forest glades, swamps, overgrown lakeshores, riverbanks, and floodplains. On Sakhalin Island, the species is present in tussock tundra like bogs. Individuals generally hide in the grass near various waters or under the rocks near water, and large numbers of this frog may be found hibernating in the bottom mud of ponds and pools from late September to mid March (Fei et al. 2012). The species possesses a unique adaptation to survive several months without oxygen during wintering (Berman et al. 2019, Shekhovtsov et al. 2020). It may be found in slightly modified habitats. Reproduction and larval development takes place from mid April to mid May (Fei et al. 2012) in shallow lakes, ponds, ditches, large puddles and marshes with stagnant water. Eggs are clustered in the aquatic plants on the edge of puddles and ditches, with clutches observed containing 927–1,308 eggs (Fei et al. 2012). During the day, tadpoles move among the weeds in the puddles and undergo development to larval frogs in mid June (Fei et al. 2012).

This species is widespread in West and East Siberia, the Russian Far East, northern and central Mongolia and northeastern China (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Neimenggu [Inner Mongolia], and possibly in Shaanxi, Provinces - China Red List Assessment Workshop June 2019). The boundary between this species and Rana coreana is unclear but is expected to occur north of Pyongyang in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (A. Borzée pers. comm. June 2019). The species is present north beyond the Arctic Circle. This is mostly a lowland species occurring up to 650 m asl (Fei et al. 2012), although in Mongolia it is found up to 1,500 m asl (Terbish et al. 2006a).

Conservation Actions In-Place
There are a number of protected areas within the range of this species. It is listed in the Red Data Books of the Middle Urals (Permskaya and Sverdlovskaya provinces, Russia) and the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous County (Russia). 

Research Needed
Further information on the population size, distribution and trends is needed. In addition, research on the impact of harvesting is needed, including the possibility of farming of this species.