Frogs and Toads of Delaware

For a small state, Delaware is home to a variety of frogs and toads.

Frogs

There are two different families of frogs, tree frogs and true frogs in Delaware.

Tree Frog Family – Hylidae

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) has a noticeable x mark on its back.

The New Jersey Chorus Frog has stripes down its back.

Eastern Gray Tree Frog (Hyla veriscolor) and Cope’s Gray Tree Frog (Hyla chrysoscelis) are basically identical species. The difference between them is the calls. You can identify them from the others because of the yellow or orange marks on their back legs.

Barking Tree Frog (Hyla gratiosa) has rough skin compared to the Green and Gray Tree frogs.

Green Tree Frog (Hyla cinerea) has a white line down the mouth and side that separates it from the other tree frogs in the state.

Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans) is the only cricket frog in the state. They have no distinct markings on their back.

True Frog Family – Ranidae

American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbianus)

Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans)

The Green Frog and American Bullfrog looks the same but the Bullfrog can grow larger and they lack a dorsal ridge down their back.

The Pickeral Frog and the Southern Leopard Frog look very much a like. The Pickeral Frog has more square shaped spots on its back while the Southern Leopard frog has more circular ones.

Carpenter Frog, Lithobates virgatipes, is identifiable because of their brown color and two yellow lines that run down their back.

Wood Frog (Lithobates sylativus) has a raccoon mask around its face which no other frog in the state has.

Toads

True Toad – Bufonidae

Fowler’s Toad has a clear, white belly while the American Toad has a more speckled one.

Spadefoot Toad Family – Scaphiopodidae

Eastern Spadefoot Toad (Scaphiopus holbrookii) is the only spadefoot toad in the state so just look for the toad with a spade on its rear feet.

Narrow Mouth Toad Family – Microhylidae

Eastern Narrow Mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis) is the only narrowed mouth toad in the state. Their small, pointy head is a key characteristic of the species.