Frogs and Toads of

Montgomery County Maryland

Montgomery County

Department of Environmental

Protection

Common Frogs and Toads of

Montgomery County

•Spring Peeper

• Wood Frog

• Pickerel Frog

• Southern Leopard Frog

• Northern Green Frog

• American Bullfrog

• Northern Cricket Frog

• Gray Treefrog

• Cope’s Gray Treefrog

• Upland Chorus Frog

• American Toad

• Fowler’s Toad

•Green Treefrog

Montgomery County

Species Calling CalendarSpecies Feb March April May June July Aug

Spring Peeper x x

Wood Frog x x

Upland Chorus Frog x x x

Pickerel Frog x x

Southern Leopard Frog x x x x

American Toad x x x x x

American Bullfrog x (late) x x x

Fowler's Toad x (late) x x x

Northern Green Frog x (late) x x x

Gray Treefrog x x x

Cope's Gray Treefrog x x x

Northern Cricket Frog x x x x

Wood Frog

Lithobates sylvaticus

© National Park Service

Wood FrogSize: 1 3/8-3 ¼ inches

Striped appearance is common in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and points north, un-striped found south and east.

The only North American frog found north of the Arctic Circle. Currently being studied for their ability to live after freezing solid.

Habitat: Moist woodlands in eastern areas; open grasslands in western; tundra in the far north. Obligate seasonal pool breeder.

© Jim Harding, MSU

Wood Frog

Voice: Series of short raspy quacks

Listen carefully! Call is somewhat muted and does not project or carry very far.

© Jim Harding, MSU

Spring Peeper(Pseudacris crucifer)

© Jim Harding, MSU

Spring Peeper

Size: ¾ -1 ½ inches

The spring peeper is one of the most familiar frogs in the East, although it is heard far more often than seen.

Habitat: Wooded areas in or near temporarily flooded ponds and swamps© Paul Crump, Houston Zoo

Spring Peeper

Voice: High-pitched ascending whistle, sometimes with a short trill, given once per second, in a multiple-frog chorus: peep, peep, peep.

Agonistic call is a sharp preep, often confused with other chorus frog species.

Males call from shrubs and trees near water or tucked low in emergent vegetation.

© Jim Harding, MSU

Pickerel Frog(Lithobates palustris)

© Jim Harding, MSU

Pickerel Frog

Size: 1¾ - 3 inches

An irritating skin secretion makes this frog unappetizing to some predators. The secretion will kill other frogs kept in the same collecting container or terrarium.

Habitat: Slow-moving waters and other damp areas preferably with low, dense vegetation; streams, swamps, and meadows

© Paul Crump, Houston Zoo

Pickerel Frog

Voice: Steady, low, snore-like croak. Raspy in quality and may last up to 2 seconds.

May call in a rolling snore while under water.

© USFWS

Southern Leopard Frog

(Lithobates sphenocephalus)

© Dick Bartlett

Southern Leopard Frog

Size: 2 - 5 inches

To elude a predator this frog dives into the water, makes a sharp turn while still submerged, and surfaces amid vegetation at the water's edge.

Frequently hunted for frogs' legs.

Habitat: Any freshwater location

© Dick Bartlett

Southern Leopard Frog

Range: From New Jersey to the Florida Keys; west to Texas.

Voice: Series of short, throaty, chuckle-like croaks. Males call while afloat or from land. © Virginia Herpetological Society

Northern Cricket Frog(Acris crepitans)

© Jim Harding, MSU

Northern Cricket Frog

Size: 5/8 - 1 ½ inches

Among the most agile leapers and can jump surprisingly long distances (5 - 6 feet) for its small size.

Habitat: Sunny ponds of shallow water with good growth of vegetation in the water or on the shore; slow-moving streams with sunny banks

© Jim Harding, MSU

Northern Cricket Frog

Voice: Sharp, measured clicking, repeated in rapid succession.

Call reminiscent of two glass marbles being tapped together or the shaking of a spray paint can.

Call produced through a single vocal sac.

© Jim Harding, MSU

American Toad(Anaxyrus americanus)

© Jim Harding, MSU

American Toad

• Size: 2- 4 inches

• Toads lay eggs in a long string (e.g., note strands in the photo), while frogs lay them in clumps.

• Habitat: Mowed grassy yards to forested mountains. Wherever there is abundant moisture and insects.

© Joe Greathouse, Oglebay’s Good Zoo

American Toad

Voice: A pleasant musical trill lasting 5 to 30 seconds.

Call sounds like a simultaneous whistle and hum.

Single vocal sac that is large, round, and prominent when inflated

© Jim Harding, MSU

Fowler’s Toad

Anaxyrus fowleri

© Jim Harding, MSU

Fowler’s Toad

• Size: 2 ½ - 3 ¾ inches

• Likes to burrow into the ground during hot, dry periods and during the winter

• Habitat: Sandy areas near marshes, irrigation ditches, backyards, and temporary rain pools

© USFWS

Fowler’s Toad

Voice: Plaintive, descending, 1- to 4-second "wraaaaaah.”

Brash and nasal in quality.

Produced through a single vocal sac.

© Paul Crump, Houston Zoo

Green Frog(Lithobates clamitans)

© NOAA

Green Frog

Size: 2 - 4 inches

Habitat: Lives close to shallow water, springs, streams, swamps, brooks, and edges of ponds and lakes. May be found among rotting debris of fallen trees.© USGS

Green Frog

Voice: like the twang of a loose banjo string, usually given as a single note.

Burst of sound that when given in rapid succession, will get progressively quieter.

Made through a pair of internal vocal pouches. © Jim Harding, MSU

American Bullfrog(Lithobates catesbianus)

© USGS

American Bullfrog

• Size: 3 – 8 inches.

• The largest frog in North America.

• Large specimens have been known to catch and swallow small birds and young snakes

• Habitat: Ponds, lakes, slow-moving streams with vegetation. (Must be large enough to avoid crowding). Usually found on the bank at water’s edge. When frightened, the bullfrog is likely to flee into nearby vegetation.

© Jim Harding, MSU

© Paul Crump, Houston Zoo

American Bullfrog

Voice: Deep-pitched “jug o'rum” resembling the bellow of a bull.

Sound produced by a single internal vocal sac that inflates to form a bulge under the chin.

Call can be heard for more than a quarter mile.

© Jim Harding, MSU

Gray Treefrog

(Hyla versicolor)

© Jim Harding, MSU

Gray TreefrogSize: 1 ¼ - 2 ½ inches

Two species of gray treefrog are identical in appearance. The difference is the call.

Gray treefrogs can change color from green to gray.

Habitat: Trees or shrubs growing in or near permanent water

© Jim Harding, MSU

Gray Treefrog

Voice: A hearty, resonating trill, usually heard in spring and early summer.

The Cope’s gray treefrog has half as many chromosomes as the gray treefrog. Its call is a faster, raspier less musical trill.

© Jim Harding, MSU

© Jim Harding, MSU

Cope’s Gray Treefrog(Hyla chrysoscelis)

© Joe Greathouse, Oglebay’s Good Zoo

Cope’s Gray Treefrog

Size: 1 ¼ - 2 3/8

inches

Habitat: Trees and

shrubs in or near

ponds or other

wetlands

© Dick Bartlett

Cope’s Gray TreefrogVoice: A hearty, raspy resonating trill, usually heard in spring and early summer.

Faster trill that is less musical than that of the identical-looking gray treefrog

© Dick Bartlett

A few odd ones

Upland Chorus Frog(Pseudacris feriarum)

Size: 3/4 – 1.5 inches

Habitat: grassy ditches,

flooded fields and

temporary wetlands

Upland Chorus FrogVoice: a regularly repeated “crrreek,” sounding similar to fingers running over the teeth of a comb

Call is often heard very early in the season

© Dick Bartlett

Green Treefrog

(Hyla cinerea)

Size: 1 – 2.5 inches

Habitat: Wetlands with

plentiful floating

vegetation, grasses,

and cattails.

Green Treefrog

• Voice: A monotone

queenk, queenk,

queenk

• Often heard in late

spring and early

summer.

POP QUIZ!

•Spring Peeper

•Green Frog

•Gray Treefrog

CONSULT LOCAL RESOURCES

• Frogs and Toads of Montgomery County:

• http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DEP/water/frogs-and-toads.html

• Maryland Quiz

– https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/Frogquiz/index.cfm?fuseaction=publicQuiz.StartPublicQuiz

• Northeastern Species

– Species of Toads and Frogs Found in New York: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7487.html

– Online Field Guide for Reptiles and Amphibians - Frogs and Toads (New Jersey):

http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/ensp/fieldguide_herps.htm#frogs-toads

– Discover Maryland’s Herps - Field Guide to Maryland’s Frogs and Toads:

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/herps/Anura/fieldguide_OrderAnura.asp

– Frogs and Toads of West Virginia: http://www.marshall.edu/herp/anurans.htm

CONSULT LOCAL RESOURCES

• Southeastern Species

– Frogs and Toads of Virginia:

http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/frogs_and_toads_of_virginia.htm

– Frogs and Toads of North Carolina: http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/anurans/anurans.html

– USGS Southeast Ecological Science Center - Anura:

http://fl.biology.usgs.gov/herps/Frogs_and_Toads/frogs_and_toads.html

– USGS South Central Amphibian Research Monitoring Initiative:

http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/sc_armi/frogs_and_toads/index.html