Frogs and Toads of Rhode Island

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

For a small state, Rhode Island has a decent amount of frogs.

True Frogs Family – Ranidae

American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

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

Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

Common Name: Green Frog
Scientific Name: Rana clamitans
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season: mid April to August

The American Bullfrog and the Green Frog are similar but the American Bullfrog is larger. The Green Frog also has a impartial dorsal ridge while the American Bullfrog does not have one.

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

Common Name: Northern Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana pipiens
Location: Northern part
Breeding Season: Late March to early May

Common Name: Atlantic Coastal Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana kauffedi
Location: Southern border
Breeding Season:

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

Pickeral Frog, Northern Leopard Frog, Atlantic Coastal Leopard Frog look very similar to each other because of the spots but the Pickeral frog’s spots are more rectangular than the Northern Leopard / Atlantic Coastal Frog. Now for Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog vs Northern Leopard Frog, the Atlantic Coastal Frog has more white in its tympanum than the Northern.

Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)

Common Name: Wood Frog
Scientific Name: Rana sylvatica
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season: Late February to mid April

The Wood Frog is easily identifiable from its raccoon mask around its eyes.

Tree Frog Family – Hylidae

Rhode Island only has two species of tree frog.

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

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

The Spring Peeper is the only chorus frog in Rhode Island. It has a distinct x on its back.

Eastern Gray Tree Frog (Hyla versicolor)

Common Name: Eastern Gray Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla versicolor
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season: Mid April through July

The Gray Tree frog is larger than the Spring Peeper, doesn’t have an x on its back, and has yellow / orange markings on leg

Toads

There are three toads in Rhode Island, two from the True Toad family and one from the Spadefoot toad family.

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 (Anaxyrus americanus)

Common Name: American Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus americanus
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season: Mid April to early June

Common Name: Fowler’s Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus fowleri
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season: Late May to early June

This is the best pic to tell apart the Fowler’s and American Toad.

Spadefoot Toad Family – Scaphiopodidae

Common Name: Eastern Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Scaphiopus holbrookii
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season: Following heavy rain fall from spring throughout the summer

The Eastern Spadefoot Toad is the only spadefoot toad in the state so just look for the toad with a spade on its rear feet.