Frogs and Toads of New Mexico

Frogs

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.

New Mexico is blessed with a great variety of different frogs.

True Frog Family – Ranidae

The family Ranidae is known as the True Frogs. They are your stereotypical frogs that you find in ponds.

Common Name: Rio Grande Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana berlandieri
Location: Southeastern edge of the state
Breeding Season:

The Rio Grande Leopard Frog’s dorsal fold usually stops near the rear then angles in.

Common Name: Plains Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana blairi
Location: Eastern half of the state
Breeding Season:

The Plains Leopard Frog’s dorsal fold is usually segmented on its lower back. It usually has a white spot on its typanum or ear drum.

Common Name: Chiricahua Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana chiricahuensis
Location: Southwest corner
Breeding Season:

The Chiricahua Leopard Frog appears similar to other leopard frogs but it dorsal fold is broken into segments near its rear and they are angled inward.

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

Common Name: Northern Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana pipiens
Location: Northwestern corner
Breeding Season:

The Northern Leopard Frog has fairly large spots all over their body. The dorsal ridge is nearly complete.

Common Name: Lowland Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana yavapaiensis
Location: Southwestern edge of the state
Breeding Season:

The Lowland Leopard Frog is stockier and paler than the Northern Leopard Frog. The Southern Leopard Frog has a white spot on its tympanum which can help differentiate the species from the other two. The Plains Leopard Frog is different from the Southern and Northern Leopard Frog because of its dorsal ridge. The Plains Leopard Frogs has a break and an indent near its butt while the North and South Leopard Frog just has a straight line.

Flesh bellied Frog Family – Craugastoridae

The Barking Frog is the one species of its family in the state. It has tubercles on its feet and a skin fold on the back of the head.

Common Name: Barking Frog
Scientific Name: Craugastor augusti
Location:
Breeding Season:

Tree Frog Family – Hylidae

Common Name: Blanchard’s Cricket Frog
Scientific Name: Acris blanchardi
Location:
Breeding Season:

The Northern Cricket Frog is the only cricket frog in the state. Its skin is relatively more rough than the other tree frogs in the state. It also has no distinct markings.

Common Name: Canyon Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla arenicolor
Location: Western part of the state
Breeding Season:

The Canyon Tree Frog has rough skin and no stripes through its eyes.

Common Name: Arizona Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla wrightorum
Location: Western part of the state
Breeding Season:

The Arizona Tree Frog has no distinct markings on its back but does have a stripe that runs through the eye.

Common Name: Boreal Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris maculata
Location: Northern half of the state
Breeding Season:

The Boreal Chorus Frog has three lines down its back.

Toads

If you are looking to identify a specific toad 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.

True Toad Family – Bufonidae

Common Name: Colorado River Toad
Scientific Name: Incilius alvarius
Location: Southwest corner
Breeding Season:

The Colorardo River Toad has a prominent cranial crest and large parotoid glands.

Common Name: Western Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus boreas
Location: Rio Arriba County
Breeding Season:

The Western Toad has no cranial crest and a white stripe down its back.

Common Name: Arizona Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus microscaphus
Location: Southwestern New Mexico
Breeding Season:

The Arizona Toad has a weak or no cranial crest. It’s parotoid glands are round.

Common Name: Great Plains Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus cognatus
Location: Statewide besides Torrance county
Breeding Season:

The Great Plains Toad has V shaped cranial crest. They also have large blotches on their back.

Video of a male Great Plains Toad calling by Annika Enloe

Common Name: Woodhouse’s Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus woodhousii
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:

The Woodhouse’s Toad has opposing L shaped cranial crests.

Common Name: Red Spotted Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus punctatus
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:

No cranial crest. No stripe down middle of the back. Parotoid gland is also rather small. Flattened body.

Common Name: Texas Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus speciosus
Location: Southeast corner
Breeding Season:

The Texas Toad ‘s cranial crests absent or weak with no stripe down its back. The tubercles on its feet are black and sharp edged.

Narrow Mouthed Toad Family – Microhylidae

Common Name: Great Plains Narrow Mouthed Toad
Scientific Name: Gastrophryne olivacea
Location: Southern border of the state
Breeding Season:

The Great Plains Narrowed Mouth Toad is the only narrowed mouth toad in the state. It’s not a true toad because it lacks a parotoid gland behind its eye and doesn’t have a keratonized spade on its rear feet.

Spadefoot Toad Family- Scaphiopodidae

Common Name: Plains Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Spea bombifrons
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:

The Plains Spadefoot Toad has a bony boss between its eyes that can help identify it.

Common Name: New Mexican Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Spea multiplicata
Location: Throughout the state
Breeding Season:

The New Mexican Spadefoot Toad has no boss between its eyes.

Common Name: Couch’s Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Scaphiopus couchii
Location: Everywhere besides far northern parts of the state
Breeding Season:

The Couch’s Spadefoot Toad has a sickle-shaped spade on its rear feet while the other toads in the state have more of a round one.

Introduced Species

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