California Frogs and Toads



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This is a complete llst of frogs and toads that occur naturally in California, including introduced species with well-established populations.

Frogs and toads are sorted by family and listed by scientific name and by common name on a separate list.
The blue links lead to an information page for each type of frog or toad found in California.
Follow the links for information about each animal along with pictures of animals and their habitat and some videos.

(This list is based on the lists published by the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles).

A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California



 

Scientific Name
Common Name Original Description Former or Other Name Sounds
         
Anura Frogs      
         
Bufonidae True Toads Gray, 1825    
         
Anaxyrus North American Toads Tschudi, 1845    
Anaxyrus boreas Western Toad Baird and Girard, 1852 Bufo boreas  
Anaxyrus boreas boreas Boreal Toad Baird and Girard, 1852 Bufo boreas boreas Sounds
Anaxyrus boreas halophilus California Toad Baird and Girard, 1853 Bufo boreas halophilus - California Toad Sounds
Anaxyrus californicus Arroyo Toad Camp, 1915 Bufo californicus Sounds
Anaxyrus canorus Yosemite Toad Camp, 1916 Bufo canorus Sounds
Anaxyrus cognatus Great Plains Toad Say, 1823 Bufo cognatus Sounds
Anaxyrus exsul Black Toad Myers, 1942 Bufo exsul Sounds
Anaxyrus microscaphus Arizona Toad Cope, 1866 Bufo microscaphus Sounds
Anaxyrus punctatus Red-spotted Toad Baird and Girard, 1852 Bufo punctatus Sounds
Anaxyrus woodhousii Woodhouse's Toad Girard, 1854 Bufo woodhousii  
Anaxyrus woodhousii woodhousii Rocky Mountain Toad Girard, 1854 Bufo woodhousii woodhousii Sounds
         
Incilius Middle American Toads Cope, 1863    
Incilius alvarius  F Sonoran Desert Toad Girard, 1859 Bufo alvarius, Ollotis alvaria Sounds
         
Ascaphidae Tailed Frogs      
         
Ascaphus Tailed Frogs Stejneger, 1899    
Ascaphus truei Coastal Tailed Frog Stejneger, 1899    
         
Ranidae True Frogs Rafinesque, 1814    
         
Lithobates American Water Frogs Fitzinger, 1843    
Lithobates berlandieri  I Rio Grande Leopard Frog Baird, 1854 Rana berlandieri Sounds
Lithobates catesbeianus   I American Bullfrog Shaw, 1802 Rana catesbeiana Sounds
Lithobates pipiens Northern Leopard Frog Schreber, 1782 Rana pipiens Sounds
Lithobates sphenocephalus  I Southern Leopard Frog Cope, 1886 Rana sphenocephala Sounds
Lithobates yavapaiensis   F Lowland Leopard Frog Platz and Frost, 1984 Rana yavapaiensis Sounds
         
Rana Brown Frogs Linnaeus, 1758    
Rana aurora Northern Red-legged Frog Baird and Girard, 1852   Sounds
Rana boylii Foothill Yellow-legged Frog Baird, 1854   Sounds
Rana cascadae Cascades Frog Slater, 1939   Sounds
Rana draytonii California Red-legged Frog Baird and Girard, 1852   Sounds
Rana luteiventris Columbia Spotted Frog Thompson, 1913   Sounds
Rana muscosa Southern Mountain Yellow-legged Frog Camp, 1917    
Rana pretiosa Oregon Spotted Frog Baird and Girard   Sounds
Rana sierrae Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Camp, 1917 Formerly Rana muscosa - Mountain Yellow-legged Frog Sounds
         
Hylidae Treefrogs Laurenti, 1768    
         
Pseudacris Chorus Frogs Fitzinger, 1843    
Pseudacris cadaverina California Treefrog Cope, 1866   Sounds
Pseudacris hypochondriaca
Baja California Treefrog Hallowell, 1854  Pseudacris regilla (or Hyla regilla) -
Pacific Treefrog or Pacific Chorus Frog
Sounds
Pseudacris regilla Northern Pacific Treefrog Baird and Girard, 1852  Pseudacris regilla (or Hyla regilla) -
Pacific Treefrog or Pacific Chorus Frog
Sounds
Pseudacris sierra
Sierran Treefrog Jameson, Mackey, and Richmond, 1966  Pseudacris regilla (or Hyla regilla) -
Pacific Treefrog or Pacific Chorus Frog
Sounds
         
Scaphiopodidae North American Spadefoots Cope, 1865    
         
Scaphiopus North American Spadefoots Holbrook, 1836    
Scaphiopus couchii Couch's Spadefoot Baird, 1854   Sounds
         
Spea Western Spadefoots Cope, 1866    
Spea hammondii Western Spadefoot Baird, 1859 “1857”   Sounds
Spea intermontana Great Basin Spadefoot Cope, 1883   Sounds
         
Pipidae Tongueless Frogs      
         
Xenopus Clawed Frogs Wagler, 1827    
Xenopus laevis    I African Clawed Frog Daudin, 1802   Sounds




F = Formerly present, now probably extinct in California

I = An established Alien species introduced into California


Organized By Common Name
 
Toads  
Arizona Toad  F  
Arroyo Toad  
Black Toad  
Boreal Toad  
California Toad  
Great Plains Toad  
Red-spotted Toad  
Rocky Mountain Toad  
Sonoran Desert Toad  F  
Yosemite Toad  
   
Spadefoots  
Couch's Spadefoot  
Great Basin Spadefoot  
Western Spadefoot  
   
Tailed Frogs  
Coastal Tailed Frog  
   
Frogs  
American Bullfrog I  
California Red-legged Frog  
Cascades Frog  
Columbia Spotted Frog  
Foothill Yellow-legged Frog  
Lowland Leopard Frog  F  
Mountain Yellow-legged Frog  
Northern Leopard Frog
 
Northern Red-legged Frog  
Oregon Spotted Frog  
Rio Grande Leopard Frog  I  
Southern Leopard Frog   I  
   
Treefrogs  
Baja California Treefrog  
California Treefrog  
Northern Pacific Tree Frog  
Sierran Treefrog  
   
Tongueless Frogs  
African Clawed Frog I  




F = Formerly present, now probably extinct in California

I = An established Alien species introduced into California
 


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