Frog Characteristics + Families and Orders

Oak Toad (Anaxyrus quercicus)

Distinct white, yellow, or orange stripe down midline of back, with warts and 4-5 brown/black spots on back

Southern Toad (Anaxyrus terrestris)

Prominent cranial crests between eyes and warts on body; light mid-dorsal stripe is obscure if present. Brown/black irregular spots on back

Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)

Prominent white/cream mid-dorsal stripe with small warts and dark, irregular mottling on back. White venter with sometimes a single dark spot

Eastern Spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrooki)

“Cat-Eyed” (vertical pupil) with a toadlike body and dark brown/black color. Head is significantly large compared to body, with 2 yellowish lines starting behind the eyes and running down the back

Eastern Narrowmouth Toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis)

Small head and narrow snout with a dark venter with light mottling. Dorsum varies frrom gray/red/brown. Very small

Greenhouse Frog (Eleutherodactylus planirostris)

Distinctively square snout and pattern of light stripes with irregular mottling and spots. Generally reddish/brown with reddish eyes and no webbing on rear feet. Very small

Southern Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus)

Pointed snout with reduced hind foot webbing and a dark, clean-edged stripe on rear thigh. Legs are distinctively long compared to body

Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans)

Blunt snout with extensive hind foot webbing and a dark, jagged stripe on rear thigh. Legs are distinctively long compared to body

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

“X” pattern on back, with no stripes or rows of spots. Color varies from tan to pink, with a light bar across the top of head from eye-to-eye.

Ornate Chorus Frog (Pseudacris ornata)

Stout, toadlike body with stocky forelimbs. Large dorsal spots with dark lateral spots on sides/groin. Color generally varies from red/brown/silver/green/orange, with a yellow ventral

Little Grass Frog (Pseudacris ocularis)

Two distinctive black stripes from tip of snout, through eyes, into groin separate darker dorsal color from lighter lateral color. Small in size with skinny waist

Southern Chorus Frog (Pseudacris nigrita)

Generally very dark with dark + wide ocular stripe. Has white stripe on lip and small spots on head between the eyes. Small and skinny with a light ventral and rows of spots along dorsal

Upland Chorus Frog (Pseudacris feriarum)

Generally light color with a faint ocular stripe and distinctive light triangle between eyes. Light-colored lip with three rows of spots on back

Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis)

Robust body with large toe discs and warty skin. No stripes; irregular spots along dorsal. Fat belly with little legs and a small head (looks like you)

Pine Woods Treefrog (Hyla femoralis)

Brown to reddish-brown color with white, yellow, or orange spots on rear of thigh. Dorsal pattern sometimes forms an “X”. Looks like its in a fetal position

Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)

Stocky body with small warts on skin and a star pattern on dorsal. Striped legs with deep orange + reticulated black markings on rear thigh.

Barking Treefrog (Hyla gratiosa)

Large, distinct grey/brown spots with a darker outline spots on dorsum. Loose skin + Lip has white stripe

Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea)

Slender body with distinctive narrowing waist. Yellow/gold spots across dorsum, but generally green in color. Distinctive white edge from lip to groin. Looks purpley in the jar with white eyes

Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus)

Distinctive pointed snout with slender body and narrow waist. Huge legs compared to body, also long. Generally brown/green with brown/black squoval spots on dorsum + light lip color.

Florida Gopher Frog (Lithobates capito)

Rounded snout with robust body. Insanely fat. Legs relatively short compared to body. Generally white/grey with irregular spots on dorsum + sides and swollen orange ridge on lip. Venter heavily mottled with dark pigment

Bronze Frog (Lithobates clamitans)

Webbed hind feet with pointed snout and protruding eyes. Generally brown/bronze with small “wormlike” spots found on some and brown/black ventral. Raised tympanum (circles on side of face)

Pig Fog (Lithobates grylio)

Toes webbed from tip to hind. Large and dark; yellow/green dorsal with faint dorsolateral stripes and ventral mottling near groin on light-color ventral. Scattered brown/black spots on dorsal

River Frog (Lithobates heckscheri)

Dark ventral with white spots and black/brown dorsal. Distinctive, concave tympanum (circles on sides of head) with dark lips with white spotting.

Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)

Light color with dark groin mottling, brown/reddish spots on midline/groin. No spots on upper body. Greenish lips with green/brown dorsum and light venter. Distinctive tympanum

What is the order for all frogs?

Anura

Scaphiopodidae family includes?

Scaphiopus genus

Ranidae family includes?

Lithobates genus

Microhylidae family includes?

Gastrophryne genus

Bufonidae family includes?

Anaxyrus genus

Eleutherodactylidae family includes?

Eleutherodactylus genus

Hylidae family includes?

Acris genus, Hyla genus, Pseudacris genus, and Osteopilus genus