Frogs and Toads of Delaware

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

If you are looking to identify a specific frog and can’t figure it out from the page, you can check my Frog Identification and see how to contact me about helping you out.

Frogs

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

Tree Frog Family – Hylidae

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

Common Name: Spring Peeper
Scientific Name: Pseudacrus crucifer
Location: March to April
Breeding Season: After the snow melts to July

The Spring Peeper is a small chorus frog that can often be found on forest floor or low on trunks of trees. They can be hard to find due to their small size, however, in spring when they come to temporary ponds to breed, they are easier to find. They can be distinguished from Boreal Chorus Frog and Cricket Frog due to their x on their back.

Common Name: New Jersey Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris kalmi
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season: February to April

The New Jersey Chorus Frog has stripes down its back.

Eastern Gray Tree Frog (Hyla veriscolor) and Cope’s Gray Tree Frog (Hyla chrysoscelis)

Common Name: Eastern Gray Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla veriscolor
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season: April to July

Common Name: Cope’s Gray Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla chrysoscelis
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:

The Gray Tree Frogs are nearly identical besides their calls and chromosome numbers. These medium sized frogs can be found perched in trees or on the side of your house. They are not always gray in color and can be green. They have yellow or orange coloration on their back legs.

Here is a video I took of some calling

Common Name: Barking Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla gratiosa
Location: Northern part of the state
Breeding Season:

Barking Tree Frog has rough skin compared to the Green and Gray Tree frogs.

Green Tree Frog (Hyla cinerea)

Common Name: Green Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla cinerea
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:

The Green Tree Frog 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)

Common Name: Northern Cricket Frog
Scientific Name: Acris crepitans
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:

The Northern Cricket Frog is the only cricket frog in the state. They have no distinct markings on their back.

True Frog Family – Ranidae

American Bullfrog (Rana catesbiana)

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

The American Bullfrog is the largest frog in the state. They are found near permanent bodies of water such as large ponds, streams, and lakes. Once the males of the species reach sexual maturity, their throats turn bright yellow. They are very similar to Green Frogs but they don’t have a dorsal ridge down their back. It wraps around their tympanum.

Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

Common Name: Green Frog
Scientific Name: Rana clamitans
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:

The Green Frog is a medium to large sized frog. They can be commonly found near pretty much any water body such as ponds, lakes, or streams. Once the males of the species reach sexual maturity, their throats turn bright yellow. Best way to tell them apart from other true frogs below is the dorsal ridge on its back does not go all the way down its back.

Common Name: Southern Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana sphenocephalus
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:

Common Name: Pickeral Frog
Scientific Name: Rana palustris
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:

The Pickerel Frog is a medium to large sized frog. Their dorsal ridge runs down from their eye to their back and inside there is rectangular boxes. 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.

Common Name: Carpenter Frog
Scientific Name: Rana virgatipes
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:

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

Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)

Common Name: Wood Frog
Scientific Name: Rana sylvatica
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season: March to April

The Wood Frog is a small to medium sized frog. They vary in color from brown, silver, or red and they have dark “raccoon” eyes. When winter comes, the Wood Frog can freeze completely solid and then unthaw in spring. They start to breed once the ice is off the ponds in late March / early April. After breeding season, they are often found in the woods, far away from any water bodies.

Toads

True Toad family – Bufonidae

American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)

Common Name: American Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus americanus
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:

Common Name: Fowler’s Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus fowleri
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:

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

Spadefoot Toad Family – Scaphiopodidae

Common Name: Eastern Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Scaphiopus holbrookii
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:

Eastern Spadefoot Toad  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

Common Name: Eastern Narrow Mouthed Toad
Scientific Name: Gastrophyne carolinensis
Location: Southern part of the state
Breeding Season:

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