Frogs and toads of Pennsylvania

1. Frogs and toads of Pennsylvania

2. Frogs and Toads • Only tailless amphibians • Frogs have longer legs than toads • Leap instead of hop • Exhibit an external eardrum (tympanum) • Have lungs as adults but also breathe through skin • Toads dry warty skin, parotoid glands found on head • All carnivores

3. Eastern spadefoot toad • Hard sickle shaped spade on each hind foot to identify. Have teeth on upper jaw. Can be brown to yellow or gray to black. They have two lighter colored lined running down their backs. Distinct tympanum. Reduced parotoid glands. Vertical golden iris.

4. Eastern spadefoot toad

5. Eastern American Toad • Nocturnal. • Background color of brown, olive, or brick red with yellowish patches. • Underside spotted • Black spots with only one or two warts. • Paratoid glands do not contact cranial crests. • Golden iris.

6. Eastern American Toad

7. Fowler’s toad • Generally brown or grey, with a light stripe running down the middle of its back. • Large black spots with at least three warts each on back. • Belly is white and unmarked. • Long paratoid glands that contact the cranial crests. • Two tubercles on hind feet. • Yellow irises.

8. Fowler’s toad

9. Northern cricket frog • Warty skin • Usually gray with darker stripes • Dark triangle between eyes. • No toe disks

10. Northern Cricket frog

11. Northern spring peeper • Large dark x shape on back. • Bars on legs • V between eyes • Tan to light brown or grayish • Pads at the ends of toes.

12. Northern spring peeper

13. Eastern gray treefrog • Greenish, brownish, or grayish. • Irregular blotch on back. • Thighs and underside yellow-orange. • Light spot under each eye. • Toes with pads. • Rough warted skin.

14. Eastern gray treefrog

15. Mountain chorus frog • Light brown to green with a gray over lay. • Belly and underside of legs yellowish. • Two black stripes on back that curve inward. May touch to form an x. • Triangle between eyes. • White along upper lip.

16. Mountain chorus frog

17. Western chorus frog • Smooth skin, which is greenish gray to light brown. • Belly lacks marking and is off-white. • Three stripes run down the back. • A stripe runs down either side from nostril to groin. • White band on upper lip.

18. Western chorus frog

19. Bullfrog • Large tympanum. • Dorsolateral ridges run along the tympanum and down the foreleg. • Green in color. • Belly white to cream. • Legs often spotted or barred. • Big eyes. • Yellow bottom jaw.

20. Bullfrog

21. Northern green frog • Similar in appearance to a bullfrog • Metallic green to greenish to light brown. • Blotches on back. • Yellow throat. • White belly. • Dorsolateral ridges run down back. • Large tympanum.

22. Northern green frog

23. Pickerel frog • Used as bait for pickerel. • Secrete poison from skin, which stinks. • Two rows of squarish markings on back. • Pointed nose. • Light brown to light gray skin. • White belly yellow towards rear. • Dark bars on legs.

24. Pickerel frog

25. Northern Leopard frog • Longest jumper. • Blunt nose. • Brownish or green skin with dark round spots. • Dark bars on legs. • White to yellowish belly.

26. Northern leopard frog

27. Wood frog • Usually tan in color. May be pink or dark brown. • Dark mask on each eye which stretches past the tympanum. • May have bars on legs. • Can be frozen and thawed in spring.

28. Wood frog

29. Calls • Examples of the calls of the toads and frogs covered in this PowerPoint can be found on Mr. Irons’ wiki page.