Frogs and Toads of North Carolina

North Carolina has over 25 different species of frogs and toads, making it a pretty good froggin state.

Are you looking to identify a specific frog? Check out my page on Frog Identification.

Frogs

North Carolina is home to a rich, variety of frogs from the family Ranidae and Hylidae.

True Frog Family – Ranidae

There are seven species of true frogs in North Carolina. These are your general backyard pond frogs.

Common Name: Gopher Frog
Scientific Name: Rana capito
Location: Southern part of North Carolina
Breeding Season: February to April

The Gopher Frog is listed as an endangered species in the state of North Carolina. The frog has a nearly complete dorsal ridge and has slightly warty skin.

American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Common Name: American Bullfrog
Scientific Name: Rana catesbeiana
Location: Throughout the state
Breeding Season: April to August

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.

Bronze / Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

Common Name: Bronze Frog, Green Frog
Scientific Name: Rana clamitans
Location: Throughout the state
Breeding Season: April to August

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. 

*Species of Special Concern*

Common Name: River Frog
Scientific Name: Rana heckscheri
Location: Southern part of the state but hasn’t been seen in 20 years
Breeding Season: April to August is when they breed in nearby states

The River Frog does not have a dorsal ridge which is a key identification characteristic. Its skin is also a lot more rough and wrinkly than another true frogs.

Common Name: Southern Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana sphenocephalus
Location: Everywhere besides the western edge
Breeding Season: late winter to early spring

The Southern Leopard frog has large spots on its body and a complete dorsal ridge.

Common Name: Pickeral Frog
Scientific Name: Rana palustris
Location: Everywhere besides the coast
Breeding Season: February to early April

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. 

Wood Frog (Rana sylvaticus)

Common Name: Wood Frog
Scientific Name: Rana sylvaticus
Location: Western edge of the state and Hyde and Tyrrell counties
Breeding Season: Winter mostly during February

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.

Common Name: Carpenter Frog
Scientific Name: Rana virgatipes
Location: East coast
Breeding Season: Late April to early August

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

Tree Frog Family – Hylidae

North Carolina is home to a wide variety of tree frogs from three different genera. Not all the tree frogs make their homes in the trees, but some on the ground.

Cricket Frogs – Acris

Common Name: Northern Cricket Frog
Scientific Name: Acris crepitans
Location: Everywhere besides the east coast
Breeding Season: April to August

Common Name: Southern Cricket Frog
Scientific Name: Acris gryllus
Location: Eastern half of the state
Breeding Season: February to October

The Cricket Frogs look really similar but there’s a few ways to tell them apart. The Southern Cricket Frog has a more pointed snout while the Northern Cricket Frog, has a more blunt snout. The Southern Cricket Frog doesn’t have as much webbing on the back legs as the Northern Cricket Frog.

Tree Frog – Hyla

Common Name: Pines Barren Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla andersonii
Location: Eastern half of the state
Breeding Season: March to October

Pine Barrens Tree Frog is identifiable because of its purple stripe from its eye down its side.

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: Warren and Caswell counties
Breeding Season: April to August

The Eastern Gray Tree Frog is listed as a Significantly Rare species by the N.C. Natural Heritage Program.

Common Name: Cope’s Gray Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla chrysoscelis
Location: Throughout the state
Breeding Season: April to August

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’s a video of them calling

Common Name: Green Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla cinerea
Location: Eastern half of the state
Breeding Season: April to September

Green Tree Frog has a white line down its side of the face and the side of its body.

Common Name: Pine Wood’s Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla femoralis
Location: Eastern half of the state
Breeding Season: March to October

The Pine Wood’s Tree Frog has orange dots or spots on the inner back legs.

Common Name: Barking Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla gratiosa
Location: Eastern half of the state
Breeding Season: April to September

The Barking Tree frog has much rougher skin than any other tree frog.

Common Name: Squirrel Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla squirrela
Location: Eastern half of the state
Breeding Season: April to August

The Squirrel Tree Frog lacks a white line down its side and has smooth skins.

Chorus Frog – Pseudacris

Common Name: Mountain Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris brachyphona
Location: Western point of the state
Breeding Season: February to April

Mountain Chorus Frog can be identified by the marking on its back. The mark looks like inverted parenthesis.

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

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

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 the other Chorus Frogs due to their x on their back.

Common Name: Upland Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris feriarum
Location: Middle of the state
Breeding Season: Winter and early Spring

The Upland Chorus Frog has three stripes down its back. The stripes are often broken.

Common Name: Southern Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris nigrita
Location: Eastern part of the state
Breeding Season: January to March

The Southern Chorus Frog is the darkest of all the Chorus Frogs. It has three stripes that can be broken or even spots.

Common Name: Little Grass Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris ocularis
Location: Eastern Coast
Breeding Season: January to September

Little Grass frog has a line that runs through the eye and down its side. There are no spots on its chest. They are the smallest frog in the state.

The Little Grass Frog is the smallest frog in North America. Here is a video of one calling, thanks to Arik Hartmann

Common Name: Brimley’s Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris brimleyi
Location: Eastern Coast
Breeding Season: December to April

Brimley’s Chorus Frog has a line that runs through the eye and down its side. It has spots on its chest.

Common Name: Ornate Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris ornata
Location: Eastern Coast
Breeding Season: December to March

Ornate Chorus Frog has a line that runs through the eye and down its side. The lines are often broken.

Toads

North Carolina has a good amount of different toad species from three different families. Only members of the family Bufonidae produce Bufotoxin, a toxin that you don’t want to ingest.

True Toad – Bufonidae

North Carolina’s true toads kinda all look alike so identifying them can be hard. These toads are toxic so don’t eat them and wash your hands after touching them.

Common Name: Oak Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus americanus
Location: East Coast
Breeding Season: April to August

The Oak Toad is the most easily identifiable toad out of the group of four in the state. It is the smallest of the group and has a light line down its back. The Oak Toad also has orange on the bottom of its feet.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)

Common Name: American Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus americanus
Location: Western half with isolated population in northeastern corner
Breeding Season: February to April

The American Toad is the largest toad in North Carolina.

Common Name: Fowler’s Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus fowleri
Location: Throughout state
Breeding Season: April to July

Common Name: Southern Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus terrestris
Location:  East Coast
Breeding Season: late February to May

The remaining three species of toads in North Carolina are a lot harder to distinguish between. To identify the differences, you have to look at the top of the head. The Southern Toad has knobs on the back of its head. The Fowler’s Toad’s parotid gland touches its postorbital ridge around its eye while the American Toads’s parotid gland does not touch or connected to it by a spur. Here’s an easy map I found that helps me.

Spadefoot Toad Family – Scaphiopodidae

There is only one species of Spadefoot Toad in North Carolina. Members of the family are known for their spades on their rear legs.

Common Name: Eastern Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Scaphiopus holbrookii
Location: Mostly in the east but isolated populations in the west
Breeding Season: Anytime after heavy rain

The Easten Spadefoot Toad is the only species of Spadefoot toad in North Carolina so if the toad has a spade on its rear foot, its the Eastern Spadefoot toad. They are a fossorial species, hiding underground during the day and only coming out at night to hunt for food.

Narrowed Mouth Toad Family – Microhylidae

There is only one species of Narrowed Mouth Toad in North Carolina.

Common Name: Eastern Narrow Mouth Toad
Scientific Name: Gastrophryne carolinensis
Location: Eastern half
Breeding Season: April to October

The Eastern Narrow Mouth Toad is the only Narrowed Mouth toad in the state. Their narrow head makes them easy to identify. The toads can create secretions that humans do not want to get into their eyes or mouth. Please wash your hands after handling them and all frogs and toads.