Frogs (Order Anura)
Welcome to our Frog Guide for Virginia! There are 28 native frog species in the commonwealth; and yes, toads are a family within frogs.
Frequency Rating: Ratings are based on how common each species is across their range within Virginia. Some common species may be incredibly abundant within their small range, while some may be common in most of their range but rare in a small portion of their range. Some rarer species may be abundant in pockets of their range, but are overall rare.
Common = C Uncommon = U Rare = R Incredibly Rare = I
Frequency Rating: Ratings are based on how common each species is across their range within Virginia. Some common species may be incredibly abundant within their small range, while some may be common in most of their range but rare in a small portion of their range. Some rarer species may be abundant in pockets of their range, but are overall rare.
Common = C Uncommon = U Rare = R Incredibly Rare = I
True Toads (Bufonidae)
American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) C
Fowler's Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri) C
Southern Toad (Anaxyrus terrestris) C
Oak Toad (Anaxyrus quercicus) R
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: .75 - 1.25 inches Range: Small portion of the southern Coastal Plain Status: Tier II |
Treefrogs and Allies (Hylidae)
Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans) C
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Southern Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus) U
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Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) C
© Ty Smith
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Mountain Chorus Frog (Pseudacris brachyphona) R
© Josh Ward
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Upland Chorus Frog (Pseudacris feriarum) C
© Ty Smith
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New Jersey Chorus Frog (Pseudacris kalmi) U
© Ty Smith
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Southern Chorus Frog (Pseudacris nigrita) R
© Ty Smith
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Brimley's Chorus Frog (Pseudacris brimleyi) R
© Ty Smith
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Little Grass Frog (Pseudacris ocularis) U
© Ty Smith
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"Gray Treefrog Complex" Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) & Cope's Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) C
© Ty Smith
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Barking Treefrog (Hyla gratiosa) R
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 2 - 3 inches Range: Southeastern Virginia Status: Tier II |
Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea) C
© Ty Smith
Squirrel Treefrog (Hyla squirella) C
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 1.5 - 2 inches Range: Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore | Not an unusual hitchhiker to campgrounds Status: Least Concern |
Pine Woods Treefrog (Hyla femoralis) C
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 1 - 1.5 inches Range: Southeastern Virginia Status: Least Concern |
Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) Exotic Transplant
True Frogs (Ranidae)
Carpenter Frog (Lithobates virgatipes) R
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 1.5 - 2.5 inches Range: Small pockets along the Coastal Plain Status: Tier III |
American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) C
© Ty Smith
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Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans) C
© Ty Smith
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Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) U
© Ty Smith
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Pickerel Frog (Lithobates palustris) C
© Ty Smith
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Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus) C
© Ty Smith
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Kauffeld's Leopard Frog (Lithobates kauffeldi) R
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 2 - 3.5 inches Range: Coastal Plain and eastern edge of the Piedmont Status: Least Concern |
Sheep Frogs (Microhylidae)
Eastern Narrowmouth (Gastrophryne carolinensis) U
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: ~1 inch Range: Eastern Shore, Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Cumberland Plateau Status: Least Concern |
American Spadefoots (Scaphiopodidae)
Eastern Spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrookii) R
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 1.75 - 2.25 inches Range: All of the non mountainous regions, and a bit of the Blue Ridge Status: Tier IV |