Frogs and Toads of Maine

Maine only has one toad species and a few frogs that fall into the tree frog and true frog families.

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

Tree Frog Family – Hylidae

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

Common Name: Spring Peeper
Scientific Name: Pseudacris crucifer
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:

The Spring Peeper is very small in size compared to the only other tree frog species in Maine, the Gray Tree frog. The distinguishable feature of the Spring Peeper is the x on its back.

Eastern Gray Tree Frog (Hyla veriscolor)

Common Name: Eastern Gray Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla versicolor
Location: Southern half of the state
Breeding Season: After the snow melts to July

The Gray Tree Frog does not posses an x on its back so it can be easily identified if you can tell it apart from the Spring Peeper.

Here is a video of some Eastern Gray Tree Frog males calling that I took

True Frog Family – Ranidae

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

Common Name: Northern Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana pipiens
Location: Everywhere besides the southern parts of the state
Breeding Season: May through June

Common Name: Pickeral Frog
Scientific Name: Rana palustris
Location: Everywhere besides the far north
Breeding Season:

Northern Leopard Frog and Pickeral Frog look similar to each other but the Northern Leopard Frog has round spots while the Pickeral Frog have more square shaped spots. The Northern Leopard Frog is a special concern species in the state of Maine.

American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Common Name: American Bullfrog
Scientific Name: Rana catesbeiana
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season: Mid June to July

The American Bullfrog is the largest frog in Maine. It can be identified by its lack of dorsal ridge.

Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)

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

The Wood Frog is easily identified by dark stripes on its face and brownish red color.

Common Name: Mink Frog
Scientific Name: Rana septrentionalis
Location: Throughout the state besides the southeastern coast
Breeding Season:

The Mink Frog is very similiar to the Green Frog or American Bullfrog but the coloration on it is much different and has more black in it.

Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

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

The Green Frog is often confused with the American Bullfrog but its smaller and it has a dorsal ridge.

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.