Toads and Frogs in California

Are you looking to identify specific toads and frogs in California? Check out my page on Frog Identification.

California is home to a many different frogs and toads, with some being only found in the state. Learn more about the different species and how to tell them apart below.

Frogs in California

Ranidae – True Frogs in California

The True Frogs are your typical frogs that you find along the shores of a lake or pond.

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

Common Name: Northern Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana pipiens
Location: Northeastern border
Breeding Season:

The Northern Leopard Frog is a medium to large species of semi aquatic species of frog. They vary in color from dark brown to slim green with fairly large spots all over their body. The dorsal ridge is nearly complete.

The Northern Leopard Frog have an interesting history in the state. The frog is native to the state but most of the native populations have become extinct while non native populations of the frog have become established.

Common Name: Lowland Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana yavapainsis
Location: It was found in the southern part of the state, near the border with Arizona but the frog has probably been extirpated from the state
Breeding Season:

The Lowland Leopard Frog is stockier and paler than the Northern Leopard Frog.

Common Name: Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog
Scientific Name: Rana sierrae
Location: Northern and Middle parts of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range
Breeding Season:

Common Name: Southern Mountain Yellow-legged Frog
Scientific Name: Rana muscosa
Location: Southern part of the Sierra Nevada Mountains
Breeding Season:

The Southern Mountain Yellow-legged Frog and the Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog look very much alike. So much that they were thought to be the same species. Best way to tell them apart is by where they are at. The Southern Mountain Yellow-legged Frog is found in the southern part of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range in California while the Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog is found in the middle and northern parts.

Common Name: Columbia Spotted Frog
Scientific Name: Rana luteiventris
Location: Northeastern corner of the state
Breeding Season:

The Columbia Spotted Frog is a medium sized frog varying in color from gray, brown, olive, to green with small spots that aren’t filled all over their bodies. The undersides of their legs and belly are red to pink.

Common Name: Cascade’s Frog
Scientific Name: Rana cascadae
Location: Cascade Mountains
Breeding Season:

The Cascade’s Frog is found in the northern part of the state in the Cascade Mountains, hence their name. They have a medium to large sized frog that is tan, brown, or olive green in color with a yellowish underside and not well-defined spots on its body. They have a dorsal ridge that runs down their side.

Common Name: Foothill Yellow-legged Frog
Scientific Name: Rana boylii
Location: Northern Sierra Nevada Mountain range and Cascade Mountain range
Breeding Season:

The Foothill Yellow-legged Frog has yellow on their underside of their legs.

Common Name: Northern Red-legged Frog
Scientific Name: Rana aurora
Location: Northwestern corner of the state
Breeding Season:

The Northern Red-Legged Frog is a medium sized frog that is tan, brown, or olive color with a red belly that is spotted. Their dorsal ridge extends on the way down their back.

Common Name: California Red-legged Frog
Scientific Name: Rana draytonii
Location: Western part of the state
Breeding Season:

The California Red-legged Frog has red underside.

Common Name: Oregon Spotted Frog
Scientific Name: Rana pretiosa
Location: Possibly found in the way northern part of California in the Warner Mountains
Breeding Season:

The Oregon Spotted Frog is a medium to large frog that is olive to red in color with a red belly that doesn’t have spots on it.

Hylidae – Tree Frogs in California

Common Name: California Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris cadaverina
Location: Southwestern part of Cali
Breeding Season:

Noticeable difference between the California Tree Frog and Pacific Tree Frog is that it doesn’t have a stripe through its eyes.

Common Name: Pacific Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudaris regilla
Location: Everywhere besides southeastern corner of the state
Breeding Season:

The Pacific Tree Frog is a small frog, ranging in color from green, red, brown or gray. A dark stripe extends from their snout through their eye and down their side.

Tailed Frog Family – Ascaphidae

Common Name: Coastal Tailed Frog
Scientific Name: Ascaphus truei
Location: Northern edge of the state
Breeding Season:

The Coastal Tailed Frog is a small frog with rough skin with colors varying from olive, gray, brown, or red with a black stripe through their eye. They have vertical pupils and lack a tympanum.

Toads in California

True Toad Family – Bufonidae

The True Toads are your typical toad. They usually have a parotid gland behind their eyes that contain a poison called  It is not advised to let your dog eat these guys.

Common Name: Western Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus boreas
Location: Everywhere besides southeastern corner of the state
Breeding Season:

The Western Toad is a medium sized toad with warty skin that’s green, gray, or brown in color. They have a thin white line that runs between their eyes down their back. The toad also lacks a cranial crest.

Common Name: Great Plains Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus cognatus
Location: Southeastern corner
Breeding Season:

The Great Plains Toad is a medium sized toad with pairs of dark blotches down their back. The toads are brown, gray, or green in color. A white stripe down their back can be seen on some individuals. The toad has a V shaped cranial crest on their head with a boss (bump) in between the eyes.

Video of a male Great Plains Toad calling by Annika Enloe

Yosemite Toad (Anaxyrus canorus)

Common Name: Yosemite Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus canorus
Location: Sierra Nevada Mountains
Breeding Season:

The Yosemite Toad has a light stripe down its back. It is a federally threatened species.

Common Name: Arroyo Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus californicus
Location: Southwestern part of the state
Breeding Season:

No stripe down its back.

Common Name: Black Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus exsul
Location: Deep Springs Valley of Inyo County
Breeding Season:

The Black Toad has a distinct dark color with a white stripe down its back.

Common Name: Woodhouse’s Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus woodhousii
Location: Southeastern part of Cali
Breeding Season:

The Woodhouse’s Toad is a medium sized toad with brown or gray coloring. They have a white or yellow stripe running down the center of their back. Their cranial crests do not touch, creating opposing L shapes.

Common Name: Red Spotted Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus punctatus
Location: Southeastern part of the state
Breeding Season:

The Red Spotted Toad has no stripe down its back.

Common Name: Arizona Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus microscaphus
Location: Southeastern edge of the state but records of observations are few and old
Breeding Season:

The Arizona Toad might not even be found in California anymore. They have no stripe down their back.

Common Name: Colorado River Toad
Scientific Name: Incilius alvarius
Location: Southeast border with Arizona but there hasn’t been any observations lately
Breeding Season:

The Colorado River Toad have a more enlarged parotoid compared to the other toads in the state.

Spadefoot Toad Family – Scaphiopodidae

Common Name: Great Basin Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Spea intermontana
Location: Norther eastern border
Breeding Season:

The Great Basin Spadefoot Toad is a small to medium sized toad that is tan, gray, brown, or olive green in color. They have elliptical, vertical pupils that are snake-like. The Great Basin Spadefoot has a glandular boss (bump between the eyes).

Common Name: Couch’s Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Scaphiopus couchii
Location: Southeastern edge of the state.
Breeding Season:

The Couch’s Spadefoot Toad has a more sickle shaped spade compared to other spadefoot toads. It also does not have a bump between its eyes.

Common Name: Western Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Spea hammondii
Location: Western half of the state
Breeding Season:

The Western Spadefoot Toad does not have a bump between its eyes and it does not have a sickle shaped spade.

Introduced Frogs in California

Common Name: Rio Grande Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana berlandieri
Location: Southern border
Breeding Season:

American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeianus)

Common Name: American Bullfrog
Scientific Name: Rana catesbeianus
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:

The American Bullfrog is the largest frog naturally found in the United States and comes with a big appetite. It will eat any animal that it can fit in its mouth making it a dangerous predator to native species.

Common Name: African Clawed Frog
Scientific Name: Xenopus laevis
Location: Southwestern corner
Breeding Season:

Common Name: Southern Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana sphenocephalus
Location: Madera County and Merced County
Breeding Season:

The Southern Leopard Frog is a medium to large sized frog that is brown or green in color with spots over their body. They have a white spot on their tympanum and their dorsal ridge goes straight all the way down their back.

Common Name: Common Coqui
Scientific Name: Eleutherodactylus coqui
Location: Southwestern corner of the state
Breeding Season: