Frogs and Toads of the Washington DC

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 Family – Ranidae

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American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeianus)

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Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

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The Green Frog and American Bullfrog looks the same but the Bullfrog lacks a dorsal ridge down their back. The American Bullfrog also grows much larger than the Green Frog.

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Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

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The Northern and Southern Leopard Frogs look extremely alike. The Southern Leopard Frog has a white spot in its tympanum (ear spot) while the Northern one generally doesn’t. The Northern Leopard Frog has a more rounded spot than the Southern Leopard Frog.

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The Pickeral Frog appears much similar to the Leopard Frogs but they have rectangular spots on their back.

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Wood Frog (Rana sylvaticus)

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The Wood Frog has a very distinct mask around its face than other frogs in the area don’t have. They can vary in color from silver, red, and brown.

Tree Frog Family – Hylidae

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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.

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The Spring Peeper is one of the first frogs to call in spring and is extremely loud. It has a noticeable X shape on its back.

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The Green Tree Frog has a white line down the side of its jaw and down its side.

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Toads

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.

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American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)

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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.

American Spadefoot Toad Family – Scaphiopodidae

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The Eastern Spadefoot Toad is the only spadefoot toad in the area. They have keratonized sheaths on their rear feet that help them with digging.

 

Frogs and Toads of Utah

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 Family – Ranidae

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American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeianus)

Common Name: American Bullfrog
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The American Bullfrog is the largest native frog in the United States. There is no dorsal ridge that runs down its back on the American Bullfrog. This is the distinguishable characteristics of the frog.

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Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

Common Name: Green Frog
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The Green Frog looks very much like the American Bullfrog but it’s a tad smaller. It has a dorsal ridge that runs down its back but they are incomplete and do not reach all the way.

Common Name: Colombia Spotted Frog
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The Columbia Spotted Frog has small spots all over their body that are often lighter on the inside.

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Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

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

Common Name: Lowland Leopard Frog
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The Lowland Leopard Frog is stockier and paler than the Northern Leopard Frog.

Common Name: Relict Leopard Frog
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The Relict Leopard Frog hasn’t been seen in the state since the 50s so it is probably extinct but who knows. The dorsal folds on the frog end well before the groin. It also has shorter legs than the Northern Leopard Frog.

Tree Frog Family – Hylidae

Common Name: Canyon Tree Frog
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The Canyon Tree Frog lacks a stripe that runs through its eye.

Common Name: Pacific Tree Frog
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Pacific Tree Frog has the stripe through its eye but no stripes down its back.

Common Name: Boreal Chorus Frog
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The Boreal Chorus Frog has a stripe through its eye and three down its back.

Toads

True Toad Family – Bufonidae

Common Name: Arizona Toad
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The toad has weak or no cranial crests.

Common Name: Great Plains Toad
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The Great Plains Toad has a well defined cranial crest that forms a V shape.

Common Name: Red Spotted Toad
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The Red Spotted Toad has a small flattened head and body with weak or no cranial crest. It is found in the southern part of the state.

Common Name: Western Toad
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The Western Toad has no cranial crests and has a white line down its back.

Common Name: Woodhouse’s Toad
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The Woodhouse’s Toad has well defined cranial crest that form opposing L shapes.

Spadefoot Toad Family – Scaphiopodidae

Common Name: Great Basin Spadefoot Toad
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The Great Basin Spadefoot toad has glandular boss between its eyes.

Common Name: Mexican Spadefoot Toad
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The Mexican Spadefoot Toad has no boss between its eyes.

Common Name: Plains Spadefoot Toad
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The Plains Spadefoot Toad has a bony boss between its eyes.

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

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American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Common Name: American Bullfrog
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Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

Common Name: Green Frog
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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.

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Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

Common Name: Northern Leopard Frog
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Common Name: Atlantic Coastal Leopard Frog
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Common Name: Pickeral Frog
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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
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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.

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

Common Name: Eastern Gray Tree Frog
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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.

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American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)

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

Spadefoot Toad Family – Scaphiopodidae

Common Name: Eastern Spadefoot Toad
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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.

Frogs and Toads of Tennessee

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 Family – Ranidae

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American Bullfrog (Rana catesbiana)

Common Name: American Bullfrog
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The American Bullfrog is the largest frog in the state. It lacks a dorsal ridge down its back.

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Bronze / Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

Common Name: Bronze / Green Frog
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The Green Frog looks identical to the American Bullfrog but it has an incomplete dorsal ridge.

Common Name: Crawfish Frog
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The Crawfish Frog gets its name from living in crawfish holes. Its has skin fold on the side and a small typanum.

Common Name: Gopher Frog
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Gopher Frogs have irregular spots all over their body and their skin is rough. There are only two records of the frog in the state so its not likely to be seen.

Common Name: Southern Leopard Frog
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The Southern Leopard Frog has spots all over its body, like a leopard.

Common Name: Pickeral Frog
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The Pickerel Frog looks like the Southern Leopard Frog but the spots on its skin are more rectangular than the Leopard Frog’s.

Tree Frog Famiy – Hylidae

Common Name: Northern Cricket Frog
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Common Name: Southern Cricket Frog
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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.

Common Name: Mountain Chorus Frog
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The Mountain Chorus Frog has a distinct mark on its back that looks like this )(.

Common Name: Spring Peeper
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The Spring Peeper is a small frog with a distinct X on its back. They are one of the first frogs to start singing in the spring.

Common Name: Upland Chorus Frog
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The Upland Chorus Frog has 3 lines down its back that makes it easy to identify.

Common Name: Barking Tree Frog
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Common Name: Green Tree Frog
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The Barking Tree Frog has much rougher skin than the Green Tree Frog. Both species have lines down the sides.

Common Name: Eastern Gray Tree Frog
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These two frogs are identical besides their calls and chromosome numbers. These tree frogs are also larger than the ones below. Also note that Gray Tree Frogs are not always gray and can be green. These frogs also have orange or yellow markings on their back legs.

Common Name: Cope’s Gray Tree Frog
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Common Name: Bird-Voiced Frog
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Bird-Voiced Tree Frog looks similar to the Gray Tree Frogs but their legs have a more yellow / green color on them while the Gray’s are more orange.

Toads

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.

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American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)

Common Name: Fowler’s Toad
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The American Toad and Fowler’s Toad look a lot alike. The differences has to do with their heads. Here’s a picture to show the differences.

Narrow Mouthed Toad Family – Microhylidae

Common Name: Eastern Narrow Mouthed Toad
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The Eastern Narrow Mouth Toad is the only narrow mouthed toad in the state. Its head is obviously more narrow than the other toads.

Spadefoot Toad Family – Scaphiopodidae

Common Name: Eastern Spadefoot Toad
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The Eastern Spadefoot Toad is the only species of spadefoot toad in the state. They have a noticeable spade on their hind legs that they use for digging.

Frogs and Toads of Kentucky

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.

Kentucky is home to a variety of different frogs and toad species.

Frogs

True Frog Family – Ranidae

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American Bullfrog (Rana catesbiana)

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The American Bullfrog is the largest frog in the state. It lacks a dorsal ridge down its back.

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Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

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The Green Frog looks identical to the American Bullfrog but it has an incomplete dorsal ridge.

Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)

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Wood Frog is a very easy to identify because of their mask around their face.

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The Crawfish Frog gets its name from living in crawfish holes. Its has skin fold on the side and a small typanum.

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Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

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The Northern and Southern Leopard Frog look very much alike with their uninterrupted dorsal ridges and spots but there are some differences. Southern Leopard Frog has a white spot on the tympanum and has a more pointed snout.

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The Plains Leopard Frog looks like the Northern and Southern Leopard Frog but the dorsal ridge is not complete like theirs. It shifts inward near the groin and can be broken.

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The Pickerel Frog looks like the Leopard Frogs but the spots on its skin are more rectangular than the Leopard Frog’s.

Tree Frog Family – Hylidae

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They lack any distinct marks on its back.

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The Barking Tree Frog has much rougher skin than the Green Tree Frog. Both species have lines down the sides.

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These two frogs are identical besides their calls and chromosome numbers. These tree frogs are also larger than the ones below. Also note that Gray Tree Frogs are not always gray and can be green. These frogs also have orange or yellow markings on their back legs.

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

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Bird-Voiced Tree Frog looks similar to the Gray Tree Frogs but their legs have a more yellow / green color on them while the Gray’s are more orange.

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Upland and Midland Chorus Frog both have three stripes down their back. Midland has broader stripes and the stripes also aren’t broken.

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The Spring Peeper is a small frog with a distinct X on its back. They are one of the first frogs to start singing in the spring.

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The Mountain Chorus Frog has a distinct mark on its back that looks like a reverse parenthesis on their back.

Toads

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.

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American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)

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The American Toad has a speckled belly while the Fowler’s Toad has a clear, white belly.

American Spadefoot Toad Family – Scaphiopodidae

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The Eastern Spadefoot Toad is easy to identify because of the spade on their back legs that are used for digging.

Narrow Mouthed Toad Family – Microhylidae

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The Eastern Narrow Mouthed Toad is the only narrow mouthed toad in the state. Its head is extremely narrow compared to the other toads.

Frogs and Toads of Missouri

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 Family – Ranidae

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The Crawfish Frog gets its name from living in crawfish holes. Its has skin folds on the side and a small typanum. It also has a pair of vocal sacs for calling.

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American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

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The American Bullfrog is the largest native frog in the United States. There is no dorsal ridge that runs down its back on the American Bullfrog. This is the distinguishable characteristics of the frog.

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Bronze /Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

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The Green Frog looks very much like the American Bullfrog but it’s a tad smaller. It has a dorsal ridge that runs down its back but they are incomplete and do not reach all the way.

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Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

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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.

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Pickeral Frog looks like the leopard frogs but its spots are more rectangular than the leopard frogs.

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The Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica) is easy to identify because of the dark mask on its face.

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Tree Frog Family – Hylidae

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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.

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The Green Tree Frog has a white line that runs down its side. It doesn’t have any distinct markings on its back.

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These two frogs are identical besides their calls and chromosome numbers. Note that Gray Tree Frogs are not always gray and can be green. They have yellow or orange coloration on their back legs which is nice to identify them.

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

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The Spring Peeper is a notoriously loud frog and one of the first signs of spring. It has a noticeable X marking on its back.

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The Boreal Chorus Frog is found in the northern half of the state. The three stripes on its back are often not broken and if one is, its the middle.

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Found in the southeast corner of the state

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The Upland and Cajun Chorus Frog are both found in the Southeast part of the state. They are very hard to tell apart. The best way to tell is by their calls and through genetic testing. The stripes on their back are often broken and can even appear as spots.

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The Illinois Chorus Frog does not have a white line that extends off the lips while the other chorus frogs do.

Toads

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.

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American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)

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The American Toad’s cranial crest and the parotoid gland to not touch or they are connected by a spur.

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The Cranial Crests of the Great Plains Toad form a V shape between the eyes

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The Fowler’s and Woodhouse’s Toads both have cranial crests that form opposing L shapes. The Fowler’s Toad has largest, dark spots on its back that have 3 or more warts in them.

Spadefoot Toads – Scaphiopodidae 

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The Eastern Spadefoot toad’s range reaches the southeastern corner of the state. It’s spade is sickle shaped.

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The Plains Spadefoot Toad has a rounded spade compared to the Eastern Spadefoot Toad.

Narrowed Mouth Toad Family – Microhylidae

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The Eastern Narrow Mouthed Frog is found throughout the state. It has a dark belly and often has a broad line down its back.

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The Great Plains Narrow Mouthed Toad is found on the western edge of the state. It has a light, unmarked belly and has no patterns and a few spots on its back.

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Frogs and Toads of Oklahoma

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.

Oklahoma is home to a great variety of frogs and toad species.

Frogs

Frogs in the state are from two different families, Hylidae – the Tree Frogs, and Ranidae – the True Frogs.

True Frogs – Ranidae

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Green Frog  / Bronze Frog (Rana clamitans)

Common Name: Green Frog / Bronze Frog
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The Green Frog has partial dorsal ridge down the side of their body.

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American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Common Name: American Bullfrog
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The American Bullfrog is the largest frog in the state. Their dorsal ridge wraps around their tympanum.

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Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)

Common Name: Wood Frog
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The Wood Frog is an easy to identify because of their dark mask around their eyes.

Common Name: Plains Leopard Frog
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Common Name: Southern Leopard Frog
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The Plains and Southern Leopard Frog can be hard to tell apart. The Southern Leopard Frog’s dorsal ridge down their back is unbroken while the Plains dorsal ridge can be broken.

Common Name: Pickeral Frog
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Pickeral Frog and the Leopard Frogs look very much a like. The Pickeral Frog has more square shaped spots on its back while the Leopard frogs has more circular ones.

Common Name: Crawfish Frog
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The Crawfish Frog gets its name from living in crawfish holes. Its has skin fold on the side and a small tympanum.

Tree Frog Family- Hylidae

Common Name: Blanchard’s Cricket Frog
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The Blanchard’s 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.

Tree Frogs – Hyla

Common Name: Eastern Gray Tree Frog
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These two frogs are identical besides their calls and chromosome numbers. These tree frogs are also larger than the ones below. Also note that Gray Tree Frogs are not always gray and can be green.

Here is a video of some Eastern Gray Tree Frogs calling that I took.

Common Name: Cope’s Gray Tree Frog
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Common Name: Bird-Voiced Frog
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The Gray Tree Frogs and the Bird-Voiced Frog look very much a like. The difference is the coloration on the inner thigh. The Gray Tree Frogs have brighter orange color on the thigh while the Bird-Voiced Frog is more greenish-yellow.

Common Name: Squirrel Tree Frog
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Common Name: Green Tree Frog
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The Green Tree Frog and the Squirrel Tree Frog look very much alike. The Green Tree Frog has a white stripe that runs down their side.

Chorus Frogs – Pseudacris

Common Name: Spring Peeper
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The Spring Peeper is a notoriously loud frog and one of the first signs of spring. It has a noticeable X marking on its back.

Common Name: Boreal Chorus Frog
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The Boreal Chorus Frog has three lines that run down its back and are rarely broken up but if they are, its usually only the middle stripe.

Common Name: Cajun Chorus Frog
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Cajun Chorus Frog has three stripes that run down its back that are often broken up and can appear as spots.

Common Name: Strecker’s Chorus Frog
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The Strecker’s Chorus Frog lacks doesn’t have any pattern of stripes or dots on its back. It has a line that runs through its eye and down its side though.

Common Name: Spotted Chorus Frog
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The Spotted Chorus Frog obviously has spots that are green and are bordered by black.

Toads

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.

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American Toad  (Anaxyrus americanus)

Common Name: American Toad
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The American Toad’s cranial crest and the parotoid gland to not touch or they are connected by a spur. Its found on the eastern part of the state.

Common Name: Fowler’s Toad
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The Fowler’s Toad appears similar to the American Toad. Their postorbital ridge touches their parotid gland. They also have a white belly while the American Toad’s is speckled.

Common Name: Red Spotted Toad
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Location: Western half of the state
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The Red-Spotted Toad is found in the western half of the state. Cranial crest are not present or small. Parotoid gland is also rather small.

Common Name: Green Toad
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Location: Southwestern part of the state
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The Green Toad doesn’t have a prominent cranial crest but has an elongated parotoid gland.

Common Name: Texas Toad
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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.

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

Common Name: Great Plains Toad
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The Great Plains Toad has V shaped cranial crest

Spadefoot Toad Family  – Scaphiopodidae

Common Name: Hurter’s Spadefoot Toad
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The Hurter’s Spadefoot Toad has a sickle-shaped spade on their rear foot and have a boss / bump between the eyes.

Common Name: Couch’s Spadefoot Toad
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The Couch’s Spadefoot Toad has a sickle-shaped spade and has no boss / bump between the eyes.

Common Name: Plains Spadefoot Toad
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.The Plains Spadefoot Toad has a bony boss / bump between its eyes and round spade on its rear feet that can help identify it.

Common Name: Mexican Spadefoot Toad
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The Mexican Spadefoot Toad has no boss between its eyes and has a round spade on its rear feet.

Narrow Mouthed Toad Family – Microhylidae

Common Name: Eastern Narrow Mouth Toad
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Location: Eastern part of the state
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The Eastern Narrow Mouthed Frog has a dark belly and often has a broad line down its back.

Common Name: Great Plains Narrow Mouthed Toad
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Location: Central Part of the state
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The Great Plains Narrow Mouthed Toad has a light, unmarked belly and has no patterns and a few spots on its back.

Frogs and Toads of Kansas

Frogs

True Frogs – Ranidae

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The Crawfish Frog gets its name from living in crawfish holes. Its has skin folds on the side and a small typanum. It also has a pair of vocal sacs for calling.

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American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

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The American Bullfrog is the largest native frog in the United States. There is no dorsal ridge that runs down its back on the American Bullfrog. This is the distinguishable characteristics of the frog.

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Green Frog / Bronze Frog (Rana clamitans)

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The Green Frog / Bronze Frog looks very much like the American Bullfrog but it’s a tad smaller. It has a dorsal ridge that runs down its back but they are incomplete and do not reach all the way.

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The Southern Leopard Frog and Plains Leopard Frog appear identical. They both have large spots all over their body. The difference between the frogs lies in their dorsal ridge. The Southern Leopard Frog’s ridge runs straight down the side while the Plains Leopard Frog’s ridge indents near the butt.

Tree Frogs – Hylidae

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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.

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These two frogs are identical besides their calls and chromosome numbers. These tree frogs are also larger than the ones below. Also note that Gray Tree Frogs are not always gray and can be green.

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

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The Spring Peeper is a notoriously loud frog and one of the first signs of spring. It has a noticeable X marking on its back.

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The Boreal Chorus Frog has three lines that run down its back and are rarely broken up but if they are, its usually only the middle stripe.

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The Strecker’s Chorus Frog lacks doesn’t have any pattern of stripes or dots on its back. It has a line that runs through its eye and down its side though.

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The Spotted Chorus Frog obviously has spots that are green and are bordered by black.

Toads

True Toads – Bufonidae

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American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)

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The American Toad’s cranial crest and the parotoid gland to not touch or they are connected by a spur.

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The Great Plains Toad has a V shaped cranial crest between their eyes.

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The Fowler’s and Woodhouse’s Toads both have cranial crests that form opposing L shapes. The Fowler’s Toad has largest, dark spots on its back that have 3 or more warts in them.

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The Red-Spotted Toad is found in the western half of the state. Cranial crest are not present or small. Parotoid gland is also rather small.

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The Green Toad is found along the southwestern part of the state. It doesn’t have a prominent cranial crest but has an elongated parotoid gland.

Narrow Mouthed Toad – Microhylidae

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The Eastern Narrow Mouthed Frog’s range barely reaches the southeastern corner of the stateIt has a dark belly and often has a broad line down its back.

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The Western Narrow Mouthed Toad is found in the middle of the state. It has a light, unmarked belly and has no patterns and a few spots on its back.

Spadefoot Toad – Scaphiopodidae

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The Plains Spadefoot Toad is the only spadefoot toad in the state. It has keratonized “spades” on its rear legs that help with digging.

Frogs and Toads of Arkansas

If you are looking to identify specific frogs and toads of Arkansas 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 of Arkansas

True Frog Family – Ranidae

Common Name: Crawfish Frog
Scientific Name: Rana areolatus
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The Crawfish Frog gets its name from living in crawfish holes. Its has skin folds on the side and a small typanum. It also has a pair of vocal sacs for calling.

American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

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

The American Bullfrog is the largest native frog in the United States. There is no dorsal ridge that run down the back of the American Bullfrog. Males of the species have a yellow throat while females have a white throat.

Green Frog / Bronze (Rana clamitans)

Common Name: Bronze Frog or Green Frog
Scientific Name: Rana clamitans
Location: Throughout state
Breeding Season: April to July

The Green Frog looks very much like the American Bullfrog but it’s a tad smaller. It has a dorsal ridge that runs down its back but they are incomplete and do not reach all the way. Males of the species have a yellow throat while females have a white throat.

Common Name: Plains Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana blari
Location: Northern border
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Common Name: Southern Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana sphenocephalus
Location: Throughout state
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The Southern Leopard Frog and Plains Leopard Frog appear identical. They both have large spots all over their body. The difference between the frogs lies in their dorsal ridge. The Southern Leopard Frog’s ridge runs straight down the side while the Plains Leopard Frog’s ridge indents near the butt.

Common Name: Pickeral Frog
Scientific Name: Rana palustris
Location: Throughout state
Breeding Season: February to April

Pickeral Frog looks like the leopard frogs but its spots are more rectangular than the leopard frogs.

Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)

Common Name: Wood Frog
Scientific Name: Rana sylvatica
Location: Northwestern corner
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The Wood Ffrog is one of the easiest frogs to identify because of its dark mask around its eyes.

Tree Frog Family – Hylidae

Tree Frogs – Hyla

Eastern Gray Tree Frog (Hyla veriscolor)

Common Name: Eastern Gray Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla versicolor
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Cope’s Gray Tree Frog (Hyla chrysoscelis)

Common Name: Cope’s Gray Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla chrysoscelis
Location: Everywhere besides the northwest corner of the state
Breeding Season: March to August

These two frogs are identical besides their calls and chromosome numbers. Note that Gray Tree Frogs are not always gray and can be green. They have yellow or orange coloration on their back legs which is nice to identify them.

Common Name: Bird-Voiced Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla avivoca
Location: Southern edge of state
Breeding Season: April to August

The Cope’s Gray Tree Frog, the Eastern Gray Tree Frog and the Bird-Voiced Frog look very much a like. The difference is the coloration on the inner thigh. Cope’s Gray Tree Frog and Gray Tree Frog has brighter orange color on the thigh while the Bird-Voiced Frog is more greenish-yellow.

Common Name: Green Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla cinerea
Location: Everywhere besides northwestern corner of state
Breeding Season: April to August

Common Name: Squirrel Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla sauirella
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The Green and Squirrel Tree Frog are very similar. The Green Tree Frog has a stripe that goes down its side while the Squirrel Tree Frog doesn’t. The Squirrel Tree Frog is rarer than the Green Tree Frog and is only found on the southern border of the state.

Cricket Frogs – Acris

Common Name: Blanchard’s Cricket Frog
Scientific Name: Acris blanchardi
Location: Northern border
Breeding Season: January through April

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

Chorus Frogs – Pseudacris

Chorus Frogs are generally more terrestrial compared to Tree Frogs from the genus Hyla

Common Name: Upland Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris ferarum
Location: Northern border
Breeding Season: January through April

Common Name: Cajun Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris fouquettei
Location: Throughout state
Breeding Season: January through April

The Upland and Cajun Chorus Frogs look very much alike. Best way to tell them apart is through genetic tests, call, or by location. The Upland Chorus Frog appears only in the northeastern corner in the state while the Cajun appears everywhere.

Common Name: Boreal Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris maculata
Location: Northern edge of the state
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The Boreal Chorus Frog is rare and only found along the northern border of the state. It has three lines that run done its back that are rarely broken.

Common Name: Illinois Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris illinoensis
Location: Northeast corner
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Common Name: Streckler’s Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris streckeri
Location: Western part of the state
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The Illinois and Streckler’s Chorus Frog are basically identical so best way to tell them apart is where they are found. Both frogs differ from the other chorus frogs because they don’t have a white line that extends off the lips.

Common Name: Spring Peeper
Scientific Name: Pseudacris crucifer
Location: Throughout state
Breeding Season: January to April

The Spring Peeper is a notoriously loud frog and one of the first signs of spring. It has a noticeable X marking on its back.

Toads of Arkansas

True Toad Family – Bufonidae

The True Toads are the typical toads that you know. They have warts along their back and parotoid glands behind their eyes. These toads produce toxins so make sure to wash your hands after handling and don’t eat them.

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American Toad  (Anaxyrus americanus)

Common Name: American Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus americanus
Location: Throughout state
Breeding Season: March to June

The American Toad’s cranial crest and the parotoid gland to not touch or they are connected by a spur.

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

Common Name: Woodhouse’s Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus woodhousii
Location: Southwestern corner
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The Fowler’s and Woodhouse’s Toads both have cranial crests that form opposing L shapes. The Fowler’s Toad has largest, dark spots on its back that have 3 or more warts in them.

Common Name: Coastal Plains Toad
Scientific Name: Incilius nebulifer
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The Coastal Plains Toad is notable from the other toads in the family because its in a different genus than them, Incilius instead of Anaxyrus. The genus Incilius has a more defined cranial crest than Anaxyrus.

Narrow Mouthed Toad Family – Microhylidae

Common Name: Great Plains Narrow Mouthed Toad
Scientific Name: Gastrophryne olivacea
Location: Western half of the state
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The Western Narrow Mouthed Toad is found on the western edge of the state. It has a light, unmarked belly and has no patterns and a few spots on its back.

Common Name: Eastern Narrow Mouthed Toad
Scientific Name: Gastrophryne carolinensis
Location: Throughout the state
Breeding Season: April to August

The Eastern Narrow Mouthed Frog is found throughout the state. It has a dark belly and often has a broad line down its back.

Here is a video of them calling.

Spadefoot Toad Family – Scaphiopodidae

Common Name: Eastern Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Scaphiopus holbrooki
Location: Eastern side of state
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The Eastern Toad has a sickle shaped spade on its rear feet. It also doesn’t have a boss (bump) between its eyes.

Common Name: Hurter’s Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Scaphiopus hurteri
Location: Western half of the state
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The Hurter’s Spadefoot Toad has a sickle-shaped spade on its rear feet but also has a boss (bump) between its eyes.

Common Name: Plains Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Spea bombifrons
Location: Center of state
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The Plains Spadefoot Toad has a rounded spade compared to the other two spadefoot toads. They are extremely rare in the state and found only in 4 spots.

Frogs and Toads of Nebraska

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 Family – Ranidae

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American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

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The American Bullfrog is the largest frog in the state. It lacks a dorsal ridge down it’s back that the other frogs from the family Ranidae have.

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Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

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The difference between the Plains Leopard Frog and the Northern Leopard Frog deals with its the dorsal ridge. The Plains Leopard Frog’s dorsal ridge indents near its butt.

Tree Frog Family – Hylidae

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The Cope’s Gray Tree Frog is the largest of the tree frogs in the state.  It’s found in the eastern half of the state.

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The Northern Cricket Frog is found everywhere besides the far western part.  Their skin is relatively rougher compared to the other tree frogs in the skin.

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The Boreal Chorus frog is a small frog found throughout the state. They have lines that run down their back.

Toads

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.

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American Toad (Anaxyrus americanuses)

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The American Toad is found along the eastern edge of the state. The cranial crest and the parotoid gland of the toad do not touch or they connect with a spur.

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Great Plains Toad’s cranial crest forms a V shape. It is found throughout the state.

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The Woodhouse’s Toad cranial crest forms opposing L shapes. It is found throughout the state.

Spadefoot Toad Family – Scaphiopodidae

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The Plains Spadefoot toad is the only spadefoot toad in the state. Look at the rear foot of the toad and you will find a keratinized spade on it which no other toad or frog in the state has.

Narrow Mouthed Toad Family – Microhylidae

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The Great Plains / Western Narrow Mouthed Toad is the only narrow mouthed toad in the state. The lack parotoid glands and spades on their feet.