Frogs and Toads of Montgomery County Maryland
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Frogs and Toads of Montgomery County Maryland
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
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 FrogLithobates 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 FrogVoice: 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 PeeperSize: 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 PeeperVoice: 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 FrogSize: 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 FrogVoice: 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 FrogSize: 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 FrogSize: 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 FrogVoice: 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 ToadVoice: 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 ToadAnaxyrus 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 ToadVoice: 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 FrogSize: 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 FrogVoice: 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 BullfrogVoice: 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 TreefrogVoice: 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 TreefrogSize: 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
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