Frogs and Toads of Maryland
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
True Frog – Ranidae
American Bull Frog (Rana catesbeiana)
Common Name: American Bullfrog
Scientific Name: Rana catesbeiana
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
Common Name: Green Frog
Scientific Name: Rana clamitans
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
The Green Frog and American Bullfrog looks the same but the Bullfrog can grow larger and the bull frog lacks dorsal ridges down their back.
Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)
Common Name: Northern Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana pipiens
Location: Western half of the state
Breeding Season:
Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog (Rana kauffeldi)
Common Name: Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana kauffeldi
Location: Northeast corner
Breeding Season:
Common Name: Pickeral Frog
Scientific Name: Rana palustris
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
Common Name: Southern Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana sphenocephalus
Location: Eastern half
Breeding Season:
Pickeral Frog, Northern Leopard Frog, and Southern Leopard Frog look very similar to each other because of the spots but the Pickeral frog’s spots are more rectangular than the Leopard Frogs. The Southern Leopard Frog has white dots on its tympanum while the Northern Leopard Frog does not.
Common Name: Wood Frog
Scientific Name: Rana sylvatica
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
The Wood Frog is easy to distinguished from the other frogs in the state because of the dark mask around it’s eyes.
Common Name: Carpenter Frog
Scientific Name: Rana virgatipes
Location: Southern part of the state
Breeding Season:
The Carpenter Frog is identifiable because of their brown color and two yellow lines that run down their back.
Tree Frog Family – Hylidae
Common Name: Barking Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla gratiosas
Location: Eastern half
Breeding Season:
The Barking Tree Frog has rougher skin than all the other tree frogs.
Eastern Gray Tree Frog (Hyla versicolor) and Cope’s Gray Tree Frog (Hyla chrysoscelis)
Common Name: Eastern Gray Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla versicolor
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
The Eastern and Gray Tree Frog and the Cope’s Gray Tree Frog are identical besides their calls. They have yellow markings on their hind legs. They can also be green or gray in color.
Here is a video of some Eastern Gray Tree Frog males calling that I took
Common Name: Cope’s Gray Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla chrysoscelis
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
Green Tree Frog (Hyla cinerea)
Common Name: Green Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla cinerea
Location: Eastern half
Breeding Season:
Green Tree Frog has a white line down its side and smooth skin.
Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
Common Name: Spring Peeper
Scientific Name: Pseudacris crucifer
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
The Spring Peeper is one of the first frogs to call in spring. It has a noticeable X shape on its back.
Common Name: Mountain Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris brachyphona
Location: Western edge of the state
Breeding Season:
The Mountain Chorus looks like the other Chorus Frogs but the markings on the back are different. It has 2 half moons on its back that look like this )(.
Common Name: Upland Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris feriarum
Location: Western half
Breeding Season:
Common Name: New Jersey Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris kalmi
Location: Eastern half
Breeding Season:
The New Jersey Chorus Frog and Upland Chorus Frog both have 3 stripes down its back but The New Jersey Chorus Frog’s stripes aren’t usually broken and if they are, its only the middle one.
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. It has no distinct markings on its back which separates it from most of the Chorus Frogs.
Toads
Maryland is home to a small number of toads from a few different families.
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.
American Toad (Anayxrus 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:
The Fowler’s Toad and the American Toad look very much a like but there are some differences in the back of the head.
The American Toad’s parotid gland is separated from the cranial crest while the Fowler’s Toad’s touches.
Spadefoot Toad Family – Scaphiopodidae
Common Name: Eastern Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Scaphiopus holbrookii
Location: Eastern half
Breeding Season:
The Eastern Spadefoot toad is the only Spadefoot toad in the state. If a toad has a spade on its rear foot, then its this toad.
Narrow Mouthed Toad – Microhylidae
Common Name: Eastern Narrow Mouthed Toad
Scientific Name: Gastrophryne carolinensis
Location: Southern part
Breeding Season:
The Eastern Narrow Mouth Toad is the only Narrow Mouth Toad in the state so the pointed narrow head is a key identifying trait.
