Frogs and Toads of Wyoming
Frogs
True Frog Family – Ranidae
The True Frogs are your typical frogs that you find along the shores of a lake or pond.
American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)
Common Name: American Bullfrog
Scientific Name: Rana catesbeiana
Native Location: Found in the southeastern part of the state around Goshen and Platte counties.
Introduced Location: Introduced populations exist in the western part of the state
Breeding Season: July and August
The American Bullfrog is the largest frog in the state. It lacks a dorsal ridge down it’s back while the other True Frogs have that ridge.
Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)
Common Name: Northern Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana pipiens
Location: Throughout the state
Breeding Season: April to May at low elevations while lasting to June at higher elevations
The Northern Leopard Frog kinda looks like the Columbia Spotted Frog but the spots on the Leopard Frog are much larger and fully colored in.
Common Name: Columbia Spotted Frog
Scientific Name: Rana luteiventris
Location: Western half of the state
Breeding Season: Starts in late May or early June
The Columbia Spotted Frog’s spots are much smaller and irregular than the Leopard Frog’s.
Common Name: Wood Frog
Scientific Name: Rana sylvaticus
Location:Two populations exist in the Medicine Bow / Snowy Range and the Big Horn Mountains
Breeding Season: Mid June to early July
The Wood frog is the easiest frog to identify in the state. It’s dark mask around it’s eyes is a key give away. The frog varies in color from red, brown, and silver.
Tree Frog Family – Hylidae
There is only 1 species from the tree frog family in the state – the Boreal Chorus Frog.
Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata)
Common Name: Boreal Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris maculata
Location: Found throughout the state
Breeding Season: Starts mid March and early April at low elevations and after the snow melt at higher elevations
The Boreal Chorus Frog is the only Tree Frog in the Wyoming. Though it is a Tree Frog, it lacks toe pads. It is a small frog, only around a inch long. There are three stripes that run down its back.
Toads
True Toad Family – Bufonidae
The True Toads are the typical toads that you know. They have warts along their back and parotoid glands behind their eyes. These toads produce toxins so make sure to wash your hands after handling and don’t eat them.
Common Name: Wyoming Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus baxteri
Location: Southern Albany county
Breeding Season:
The Wyoming Toad is a Federally Listed Endangered Species and listed by the IUCN Red List as Extinct in the Wild. The toad can be distinguished from the other toads in the state from it’s parallel cranial crests that sometimes get fused together to form what appears to be one line.
Common Name: Western Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus boreas
Location: Northwestern corner and south central Wyoming
Breeding Season: Spring
The Western Toad lacks a cranial crest or lines that run between the eyes.
Common Name: Woodhouse’s Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus woodhousi
Location: Eastern half of the state
Breeding Season: Spring
The Woodhouse’s Toad cranial crests do not touch, creating opposing L shapes.
Common Name: Great Plains Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus cognatus
Location: Northeastern corner of the state
Breeding Season: Early summer
The Great Plains Toad does have a cranial crest and its V shaped.
Spadefoot Toad Family – Scaphiopodidae
Spadefoot Toads are easy to seperate from the other toads and frogs because they have keratonized “spades” on their rear feet that are used for digging.
Common Name: Plains Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Spea bombifrons
Location: Eastern half of the state
Breeding Season:
The Plains Spadefoot Toad has a more bony boss (bump between the eyes) than the Great Basin Spadefoot Toad.
Common Name: Great Basin Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Spea intermontana
Location: Southwestern corner
Breeding Season: After heavy rains in early Spring or late Summer due to them being an explosive breeder
The Great Basin Spadefoot has a more glandular boss than the Plains Spadefoot Toad.
