Tadpoles (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
Southern Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus) U
Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) C
Mountain Chorus Frog (Pseudacris brachyphona) R
© Josh Ward
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: .75 - 1.25 inches Range: Southwest Virginia Status: Tier II |
Upland Chorus Frog (Pseudacris feriarum) C
New Jersey Chorus Frog (Pseudacris kalmi) U
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: .75 - 1.5 inches Range: Northern Eastern Shore Status: Tier IV |
Southern Chorus Frog (Pseudacris nigrita) R
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: .75 - 1.5 inches Range: Very small area of the southern Coastal Plain Status: Tier IV |
Brimley's Chorus Frog (Pseudacris brimleyi) R
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: .75 - 1.5 inches Range: Randomly distributed in the southern Coastal Plain Status: Least Concern |
Little Grass Frog (Pseudacris ocularis) U
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: .5 inches Range: Southern Coastal Plain Status: Tier IV |
"Gray Treefrog Complex" Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) & Cope's Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) C
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
Squirrel Treefrog (Hyla squirella) C
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
© Ty Smith
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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 2.5 - 5 inches Range: Hitchhiker on plant shipments | Shows up occasionally at garden centers Status: Introduced |
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
Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans) C
Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) U
Pickerel Frog (Lithobates palustris) C
Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus) C
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 |
