Frogs and Toads of Georgia

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Frogs and Toads of Georgia

• Cameron A. Young

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Characteristics and Terms To Know

• Dark vocal sac of males
• Flash colors
• Microhylid head fold
• Parotoid glands

• Pelobatid spade
• Toe pads
• Tympanum
• Vertical pupil
• Webbed feet

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dark vocal sac of male

• the vocal sac beneath the lower jaw in male frogs
  has a distinctly darker coloration than in
  juvenile or female frogs
• Example
• Pseudacris spp.

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flash colors

• brightly colored patches on the rear of the hind
  legs that are exposed when the frog jumps
• Example
• Hyla spp.

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microhylid head fold

• a fold in the skin behind the head
• Example
• Gastrophryne spp.

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parotoid glands

• large poison glands behind the head
• Example
• Bufo spp.

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pelobatid spade

• a dark scale-like structure on the hind feet of
  spadefoot toads that is used for digging
• Example
• Scaphiopus spp.

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toe pads

• enlarged pads at the ends of the toes
• Example
• Hyla spp.

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tympanum

• the external ear drum
• Example
• Rana spp.

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vertical pupil

• an elliptical pupil in some frogs
• Example
• Scaphiopus spp.

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warts

• raised areas on the backs of some toads
• Example
• Bufo spp.

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webbed feet

• webbing between the toes of the hind feet
• Example
• Rana spp.

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Frogs and Toads of Georgia

• Identifying characteristics, breeding chronology,
  and geographic distribution

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Family BufonidaeTrue Toads

• Worldwide distribution except Antarctica and
  Australia
• (Except Bufo marinus)
• Thirty-one genera, 400 species
• Prominent skin glands (warts)

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Bufo americanusAmerican Toad

• One or Two warts per dark patch
• Chest usually spotted
• Enlarged warts on tibia
• Parotoid gland separate from cranial crest
  (sometimes connected by a small spur)
• Breeds March-July

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Bufo americanus
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Bufo fowleriFowlers Toad

• Three or more warts per patch
• Unspotted chest
• No enlarged warts of tibia
• Parotoid gland touches cranial ridge
• Breeds March through August

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Bufo fowleri
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Bufo terrestrisSouthern Toad

• Pronounced knobs on a high cranial crest
• Light middorsal stripe
• Breeds March through October

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Bufo terrestris
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Bufo quercicusOak Toad

• Small size
• Diurnal
• Conspicuous middorsal stripe
• Four or five pairs of dark spots with bright red
  or orange warts
• Breeds April through October

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Bufo quercicus
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Family PelobatidaeSpadefoot Toads

• Distribution North America, Europe, and Central
  Asia
• Three genera, eleven species
• Explosive reproductive habit
• Fast larval period (as short as 6 days)

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Scaphiopus holbrookiiEastern Spadefoot

• Sickle shaped spade on hind foot
• Two yellowish lines on backmay resemble a hour
  glass
• Breeds explosively during heavy warm rains

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Scaphiopus holbrookii
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Family MicrohylidaeNarrowmouth frogs and toads

• Worldwide distribution except Antarctica
• 64 genera, 307 species

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Gastrophryne carolinensisEastern Narrowmouth Toad

• Pointed snout
• Head fold
• Belly mottled
• Breeds April through October

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Gastrophryne carolinensis
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Family HylidaeTreefrogs

• Distribution North America, South America,
• disjunctly in Eurasia, and Australia
• 39 genera, Over 720 species
• Toe discs

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Acris crepitansNorthern Cricket Frog

• Dark stripe on thigh is not clean cut
• Head blunt
• Short hind leg
• Extensive foot webbing
• Breeds April to July

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Acris crepitans
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Acris gryllusSouthern Cricket Frog

• Clean Cut stripe on hind leg
• Anal warts present
• Head pointed
• Long hind leg
• Breeds February though October

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Acris gryllus
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Hyla andersoniiPine Barrens Treefrog

• Not thought to be in GA (One isolated record near
  Augusta)
• Nothing else looks like this frog
• Breeds April through September

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Hyla andersonii
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Hyla avivocaBird-voiced Treefrog

• Yellowish green on hind legs
• Smaller than Gray treefrog
• Breeds March through August

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Hyla avivoca
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Hyla cinereaGreen Treefrog

• Bright green frog
• White lateral stripe
• Breeds March through October

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Hyla cinerea
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Hyla femoralisPine Woods Treefrog

• Row of orange, yellow, or whitish spot on thigh
• Breeds April through September

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Hyla femoralis
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Hyla gratiosaBarking Treefrog

• Large, FAT treefrog
• Dark spots usually persist through color changes
• Breeds March through August

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Hyla gratiosa
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Hyla squirellaSquirrel Treefrog

• Dark spot or bar between the eyes (not always
  there)
• Identify by process of elimination
• Breeds late March through September

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Hyla squirella
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Hyla versicolor/chrysoscelisGray Treefrog

• Bright orange or golden yellow concealed on thigh
• Warts present
• Breeds March though August

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Hyla versicolor/chrysoscelis
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Pseudacris brachyphonaMountain Chorus Frog

• Reverse parentheses on back
• Dark triangle between eyes
• White line on upper lip
• Breeds February through April

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Pseudacris brachyphona
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Pseudacris brimleyiBrimleys Chorus Frog

• Bold black lateral stripe
• Dark spots on chest
• Breeds February through April

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Pseudacris brimleyi
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Pseudacris cruciferSpring Peeper

• Dark X on back
• Breeds December through April

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Pseudacris crucifer
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Pseudacris feriarumUpland Chorus Frog

• Light line on upper lip
• Dark lateral stripe
• Three longitudinal stripes
• Breeds December through April

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Pseudacris feriarum
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Pseudacris nigritaSouthern Chorus Frog

• Three broken dorsal stripes
• White line along lip
• Pointed snout
• Breeds November through April

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Pseudacris nigrita
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Pseudacris ocularisLittle Grass Frog

• Dark lateral line through eye
• Chest white
• Toes slightly webbed
• Small size
• Breeds November through April

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Pseudacris ocularis
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Pseudacris ornataOrnate Chorus Frog

• Dark spots on sides and groin
• Yellow spots on concealed portions of leg
• Mask like stripe through eye
• Breeds November through April

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Pseudacris ornata
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Family RanidaeTrue Frogs

• Worldwide Distribution except Antarctica
• 45 genera, 630 species

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Rana capitoGopher Frog

• Short hind legs
• Warty
• Spotted chest and belly
• Breeds March through August

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Rana capito
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Rana catesbeianaBullfrog

• Plain green frog
• No dorsolateral ridges
• Tip of fourth toe extends beyond webbing
• Breeds February to October

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Rana catesbeiana
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Rana clamitansGreen/Bronze Frog

• Dorsolateral ridges ending halfway down body
• Belly white with dark, wormlike markings
• Breeds April though August

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Rana clamitans
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Rana grylioPig Frog

• Bullfrog with a narrow pointed head
• Toes fully webbed
• Webbing straight between third and fourth toes
• Breeds April to August

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Rana grylio
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Rana heckscheriRiver Frog

• Conspicuous white spots on lip
• No dorsolateral ridges
• Pale girdle outlining groin
• Breeds April through August

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Rana heckscheri
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Rana palustrisPickerel Frog

• Square spots in two parallel rows
• Bright yellow or orange on concealed portions of
  legs
• Breeds February through May

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Rana palustris
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Rana sphenocephalaSouthern Leopard Frog

• Complete dorsolateral ridge
• Round/oval spots on back
• Breeds during any warm rain

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Rana sphenocephala
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Rana sylvaticaWood Frog

• Brown frog with a black mask
• Prominent dorsolateral folds
• Explosive breeder
• Breeds January or February

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Rana sylvatica
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Rana virgatipesCarpenter Frog

• Four light stripes down back
• No dorsolateral ridges
• Breeds April to August

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Rana virgatipes
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Family LeptodactylidaeTropical Frogs

• Distribution Southwestern North America,
  Florida, Central America, West Indies, and South
  America
• 50 genera, 850 species

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Eleutherodactylus planirostrisGreenhouse Frog

• Two color phases
• Striped
• Mottled
• Breeds May through September
• No free tadpole stage

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Eleutherodactylus planirostris
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