The Frog Lady

***This post is a part of my series where this year I will be highlighting all of the different states native frogs and toads.  Check out this page to see all of the United State’s native frogs broken down by state. ***

Here are the frogs  and Toads that can be found in Virginia:

American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)

The American Bullfrog is the largest frog in North America.  They are typically green or gray-brown with brown spots. They can grow up to 8″ in length and weigh up to 1.5 pounds.  The bullfrog can be found near large permanent bodies of water with vegetation near the shorelines.  They are abundant within the state of Virginia. 

It has a very deep call which resembles the mooing of a cow.  Watch the video below to hear!  Both genders of the bullfrog croak.  Their calls may be heard day or night between April and July.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M02_dnl9zCA&feature=youtu.be

Atlantic Coast Leopard frog (Pseudacris brachyphona)

The Atlantic Coast leopard frog ranges in colors from mint-gray to light olive green and brown spots irregularly shaped down its back.  The coloring has been observed to change between day and night along with between seasons.  They inhabit marshlands, swamps and slow moving ponds and rivers. They can be found in a few counties in the southeastern portion of Virginia.

The Atlantic coast leopard frog’s call sounds like a single and distinct “chuck” sound rather than the ak-ak-ak sound of related species.  Listen to their call below!

Barking Treefrog (Hyla gratiosa)

The Barking treefrog can reach up to 3″ in length.  It is known for its bright green color with dark brown spots.  It can be found in a few eastern counties within Virginia.

Their call is a loud ‘Tonk’ sound which from the distance the chorus can sound like barking dogs.  Breeding lasts June- July and it is a polygamous species; with the female choosing the male based on his call.  The barking treefrog can be found high within the treetops, but also burrowing within sand when temperatures get hot.  Listen to their call below.

Brimley’s Chorus Frog (Pseudacris brimleyi)

The Brimley’s chorus frog is variable in color, but typically is tan with 3 brown stripes and a dark brown or black stripe down each side from the nose to the groin. They are found in lowland areas of open wet hardwood forests, marshes or ditches in the coastal plain area of Virginia.

The male’s mating call is a rasping trill and can be heard February-April. Listen below for their call.

Carpenter Frog (Lithobates virgatipes)

The Carpenter frog is widely known for its dark brown color with (2) light yellow stripes on either side.  This frog is found in the coastal areas of Virginia. 

They can be heard in April with a call that sounds like construction workers hammering, hence their name.  Listen to their call below.  Tadpoles are unique as they will remain a tadpole for around a year.  The carpenter frog thrives in acidic water and as the wetlands water becomes less acidic, other larger frogs are now taking over their habitats.

Coastal Plains Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus utricularius)

The coastal plains leopard frog can be bright green, brown, tan, bronze or scattered colors with well defined dark brown spots. It will have a prominant ridge running along each side and hind legs and a white belly. They can be found in flooded fields, wetlands and swamps. They are common across the coastal area of Virginia with their range extending into the central portion of the state.

Their call sounds like a series of quiet chuckling quacks. Listen to it below.

Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)

The Cope’s gray treefrog is smaller and smoother skinned than the gray treefrog.  The gray treefrog and Cope’s gray treefrog can be difficult to tell apart during breeding while they are both mottled.  However, most of the time the Cope’s gray treefrog has a solid lime green colored back.  These frogs can be found throughout the south and eastern portion of Virginia near forest edges and favoring brush over trees.

Another way the Cope’s gray treefrog can be distinguished from the gray treefrog is by its call.  The Cope’s gray treefrog’s call is short and raspy.  Listen to the video below to hear.

Eastern American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus americanus)

The Eastern American Toad ranges from 2-4.25″ in length. It is usually brown, gray, olive or brick red with a light middorsal stripe and is mainly nocturnal and is most active when the weather is warm and humid. During the winter, the toad will burrow deep into the ground below the frost line.  As the frost line gets deeper, the toads will burrow deeper beneath the ground.    The Eastern American toad prefers rocky and wood areas and will become active at dusk.  It can be found in a variety of habitats including mesic forests, upland hardwoods, residential gardens and agricultural lands. Within the state of Virginia, they can be found statewide, except for a few coastal counties.

The toad has a high musical trill which can last upwards of 30 seconds.  American toad is highly terrestrial and can only be found in the water for a short period while breeding and laying eggs.  Below is a video that shows the American Toad calling.

Eastern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans)

The Eastern Cricket frog measures an average of 1″ in length with the females being slightly larger.  These frogs can jump a surprisingly long way (5-6′) for their small size.  They can range a combination of black, yellow orange or red on a base of brown or green.  They may be found near permanent water sources like slow moving streams, margins of lakes and ponds or around marshy areas. In Virginia, the eastern cricket frog is common within the eastern half of the state.

This frog was named for its breeding call which sounds very much like a chirp or trill of a cricket repeated for about 20 beats or like 2 pebbles clicked together.  Listen to its call below.

Eastern narrow mouth toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis)**

**Although it bears the name of “toad” it is actually considered to be a frog.

This frog is typically 1″ in length, with females being slightly larger.  One defining characteristic of this frog is the fold of skin on the back of the frogs head.  The eastern narrow mouth toad is grey or brown in color with smooth thick skin.  It can be found in grassy areas on rocky slopes and in rock filled canyons.  They will hide under rocks and can sometimes be found with tarantulas.  As shown in the photo below, they can be found in the central and coastal areas of Virginia.

The male eastern narrow mouth toad’s belly will create a substance that will stick the mating pair together.  The female will lay up to 850 eggs on the surface of the water.  They will take 2 days to hatch and will be toadlets within a quick 30-60 days.  It’s call sounds similar to a bleating sheep with a baaaaa.  Several calling frogs together sound like bees or a bunch of toy airplanes.  I was very surprised by the pitch of their call.  Have a listen below:

Eastern Spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrookii)

The Eastern Spadefoot has smoother and more moist skin than most toads and is speckled with very tiny warts.  This species typically had a light brown to yellow brown color mottled with dark brown.  The back of the eastern spadefoot may be dark brown with exception of a couple light yellow stripes.  The lines are usually more visible in males.  The Eastern Spadefoot has a vertical pupil in the eye similar to a cat.  They can be found in the sandy soil along the floodplains of streams and rivers.  The Eastern Spadefoot prefers dry habitats with sandy soil, but will breed in flooded fields or ditches in warm rainy weather.  They can be found across most the eastern and coastal areas of Virginia.

These spadefoots spend almost all of their time buried under ground, with the exception of breeding time.  During breeding time, the spadefoots emerge from their burrows and the male will let out a short explosive “wank” call which sounds like a call of a crow.  Something odd about these guys is that some people believe that the Eastern spadefoot smells like peanut butter.

Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)

The Fowler’s toad is usually brown, grey, olive green and rust red in color with darkened warty spots.  As these toads become adults, a pale stripe will form down its back.  The belly is usually white-ish with one dark spot.  These toads are found throughout Virginia.

This toad has a long, loud, high pitched W-A-A-A-H-H-H call.  Listen to it in the video below!    It is said that they can be mistaken for a herd of sheep calling in the night.  The Fowler’s toad will make a series of quick, short hops as the American toad will make a few larger hops.  The Fowler’s toad will amplexus in March – August.  The female can release 7,000 -10,000 fertilized eggs which will hatch 2-7 days later.

https://youtu.be/ezHxi2DEHOE

Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor)

The grey treefrog may range in color from green to brown to grey (as shown above).  During the day, they may be found sleeping on tree branches or leaves.  Their toes have a sticky pad which allows them to easily climb vertically up windows, siding, trees; etc.  They may be found throughout the central inland portion of Virginia.

Female grey tree frogs may lay 1,000-2,000 eggs in clusters of 10-40.  Tadpoles can be distinguished by their redish-orange tails.  Male grey treefrogs have a short melodic trill that lasts only a second.  They will generally call on warm and humid evenings between April & July. Below is a video of the Gray treefrog calling:

Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans)

The Green Frog is abundant throughout West Virginia and can be found in almost every town.  It is typically greenish-brown with dark mottling on its head, chest and under its legs.  The throat color ranges to yellow for a male to white for the females.  They can be found throughout Virginia.

These frogs can produce as many as 6 different calls – however the most distinctive sound is a throaty boink that sounds like a loose banjo string being plucked.  Listen to the video below to hear!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0uGjsM_gh4#action=share

Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea)

The green treefrog is slender frog that ranges from bright green to dull green with a white stripe down its side.  These frogs can reach 2.5″ and can be easily frightened.  They are typically found within marshes, swamps, small ponds and streams. They can be found in the coastal areas of Virginia.

On average, a female will lay 400 eggs.  Breeding takes place April – August.  It has been noted that the green treefrog will choose its prey not based on size, but based on activity level.  With the most active being eaten first.  The male’s call is a single note repeated over and over sounding like a “queenk”.  Listen to their call below.

Little Grass Frog (Pseudacris (Limnaoedus) ocularis)

The little grass frog is aptly named as it is usually half an inch long.  It is typically tan, brown, reddish or gray in color with dark lines from the nose to the legs.  The chest is typically white or a cream color.  The little grass frog can be found in the southern most coastal counties within Virginia in grassy areas.

Breeding occurs year-round in Florida.  The male’s call sounds like a high pitched squeaky wheel.  Listen to it below!

Mountain Chorus Frog (Pseudacris brachyphona)

The mountain chorus frog is a small species which ranges from tan to light brown with a dark brown mottling pattern.  This species is not associated with water and is typically found near woodlands.  The mountain chorus frog is located in the extreme west area of Virginia.

The mountain chorus frog has a high pitched call which sounds similar to a fire alarm.  Listen to the call below!

New Jersey Chorus Frog (Pseudacris kalmi)

This subspecies of a chorus frog is 3/4″ – 1 1/2″ in size.  The New Jersey Chorus Frog can be found in swamps, moist woodlands, and the areas surrounding marshes, bogs and ponds.  The New Jersey Chorus frog can be found in a few coastal counties. 

There is little difference in the identifying characteristics of the Uplands Chorus Frog and the New Jersey Chorus Frog, except for the calls and range.  Listen below to the New Jersey Chorus frogs call.

Oak Toad (Anaxyrus quercicus)

The Oak Toad is the smallest toad in North America – reaching 1.75″ in length. They are so small that they were originally classified as half-grown southern toads. They are typically black or brown in color with a white, cream or yellow stripe on the back. They have 4-5 pairs of dark colored blotches on the back as well. The bumps on their back tend to have a red, orange or brown color which gives it a rough texture. Their stomach is grayish white. They can be found in grassy areas or areas with sandy soil or freshwater wetlands. In Virginia, they can be found in the south eastern corner of the state – not coastal counties.

The oak toad has a chirping call which can be heard from April – October. The females will lay 300-500 eggs in a strand attached to grass. The call can be heard below:

Pickerel Frog (Lithobates palustris)

The Pickerel frog looks very similar to the Northern Leopard frog; however the pickerel frog has 2 parallel rows of squareish spots down its back.  These frogs are listed as a species of greatest need of conservancy in Illinois as it has a complex habitat requirements.  It looks for a cold stream to overwinter in and then moves to warmer ponds for breeding and then forests to forage for food. It is common throughout the state of Virginia except for the extreme southeastern corner of the state.

As a defense the skin of the pickerel frog produces a toxic substance which makes them unappealing to most predators.  Listen to the video below to hear their call.  It is similar to the Northern Leopard frog, however it is shorter and faster, causing it to sound more like a finger running over tines on a comb.

Pine woods Treefrog (Hyla femoralis)

The Pinewoods treefrog is around 1.5″ in length and can range from brown-gray to red-brown to gray-green color with dark mottlings on its back and small orange or yellowish spots on the rear of its thigh. They can be found high in trees but also at ground level in rotten logs or crevices in trees. It can be found in the southeastern corner avoiding the coastal counties within Virginia.

The males are nicknamed the “Morse-code frog” as their call consists of sporadic chattering. It can be heard from April – October. Listen to its call below:

Southern Chorus Frog (Pseudacris nigrita nigrita)

The southern chorus frog typically has a whiteish-grey to tan back with dark broken lines of spots.  A light line is visible on the upper lip.  These frogs can reach up to 1.25″ in length.  They can be found in a few counties in the southeastern portion of Virginia and are typically burrowed in the loose sandy soils near sandhills, flooded ditches and fields.

On the Florida pennisula, these frogs can breed year-round, however in the rest of Florida they will breed November to April.  The female will lay clusters of around 15 eggs.  The male’s call is a repeated trill.  The males will typically call from a well concealed location so they may be hard to find.

Southern Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus)

The Southern Cricket frog measures an average of 1″ in length with the females being slightly larger.  These frogs can jump a surprisingly long way (5-6′) for their small size.  They can range a combination of black, yellow orange or red on a base of brown or green, but all have a bright stripe of color running from the tip of their snout down their back, broken with a triangle pattern between the eyes. They may be found near permanent water sources like slow moving streams, margins of lakes and ponds or around marshy areas. They can be found in the southeastern corner of Virginia.

This frog was named for its breeding call which sounds very much like a chirp or trill of a cricket repeated for about 20 beats or like 2 pebbles clicked together.  Listen to its call below.

Southern Toad (Anaxyrus terrestris)

The southern toad is typically 3″ in length and is more often brown, but can be black, grey or red. It lives in areas with sandy soils and spends its days in its burrow. In Virginia, it can be found in the southeastern corner of the state.

Breeding occurs in spring when males migrate from their upland habitats to the swamps, ditches and pools to breed. Each female may lay up to 4,000 eggs which will take up to 55 days to morph into juvenile frogs. Listen to the males call below:

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

The  spring peeper is one of Virginia’s smallest frogs measuring from 1″ to 1-1/2″.  It can be distinguished by it’s dark colored “X”across its back.  This frog is very common throughout the state of Virginia in woods next to vegetated swamps and marshes.

It’s chorus of a shrill high pitched call can be heard from up to a 1/2 mile away!  Listen to its call in the video below.  Similar to the American toad, these frogs spend most of its time on land and only are in the water to breed and lay eggs.  Like most tree frogs, the spring peeper is nocturnal and loves to hunt ants, spiders and other small insects during the evening.

Squirrel Treefrog (Hyla squirella)

The squirrel treefrog is usually green, but can be brown or tan with numerous spots. A yellowish cream stripe runs along their side. The underside of their legs may have yellow. They can be found in flooded areas, fishless ponds and shallow pools. They can be seen in the southeastern corner of the state of Virginia.

The squirrel treefrog breeds fromMarch to August, but the call can be heard as late as September as it is associated with heavy rainfall and warm temperatures. The breeding call is a hoarse quack which sounds similar to a mallard duck. Listen to it below:

Upland Chorus Frog (Pseudacris feriarum)

Upland chorus frogs are usually brown, grey brown or reddish brown in color with darker blotching.  They have 3 stripes running along their back with a dark triangular spot between the eyes.  These frogs are secretive and rarely seen or heard except immediately after it rains.  They can be found in a variety of habitats including vegetated areas not far from a permanent water source.  In Virginia, the upland chorus frog can be found everywhere except the far east and west portions of the state.

The call of the upland chorus frog is a raspy trill sound which ascends higher in pitch, similar to running a finger across tines on a comb.  Listen to the males call below.

 Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus)

The Wood frog is known as a brown, tan or rust colored frog with a dark colored around its eyes.  Some call it a “robbers mask”.  These frogs can be found throughout Virginia except for the southeastern corner.

Their call sounds like a quacking of a duck.  Watch the video below to hear!  Two interesting facts about the wood frog, is that while the frogs do not show any paternal care to their young, it has been discovered that tadpoles that have been separated from parents can pick their parents out and aggregate around them.  Secondly, the wood frog is very tolerable to cold temperatures.  These frogs can tolerate complete freezing of up to 65% of their body as they pump any water within their body to their extremities and at the same time pump large amount of glucose from the liver into their cells.  This creates a syrupy sugar solution which acts as antifreeze within their body.  Their blood will freeze, the heart will stop beating and all breathing and muscle movements cease until early spring as they begin to thaw and re-animate.

Thanks for reading! Check out all of the United State’s native frogs and toads here.

Photo Credits:

Cover photo used by the CC0/public domain license.  Text was added.  See Original photo here.

1. Photo from Wikimedia Commons used under the Creative Commons license.  Photo taken by Brian Gratwicke.  Original Photo Here.
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