West Virginia is a state in the eastern part of the United States. It is located in the Appalachian Mountains, covered mostly in temperate deciduous forests. Several other habitats exist in the geographic region.
There are fourteen (14) species of toads and frogs in West Virginia. These anuran species include eleven (11) species of frogs and three (3) species of toads. Most of these species are abundant and not threatened or endangered.
Frogs and toads are important parts of our environment and ecosystem. This is because they provide food for larger animals (like snakes, raccoons, salamanders, birds, and fish) while they eat insects that are household and crop pests.
As you read this article, you will be provided with a list of the 14 species of toads and frogs in West Virginia. This listing includes their biological families, zoological names, other common names, snout-vent length (SVL), and longevity.
Other information contained herein includes the species’ range, habitats, physical features, behaviors, advertisement or mating calls, and additional anti-predator techniques where available.
Table of Contents
Species of Frogs in West Virginia
1. American Bullfrog
- Family: Ranidae
- Scientific Name: Lithobates catesbeianus
- Other Names: Bullfrog, North American bullfrog
- Adult Size: 9 to 15.2 cm (3.5 to 6 in)
- Lifespan: 7 to 9 years in the wild, up to 16 years in captivity
The American bullfrog is native to the eastern region of North America but it has been introduced to places on other continents such as Europe, Asia, and South America. It is a largely aquatic species that can be found around water.
Swamps, ponds, marshes, ditches, rivers, and streams with abundant vegetation are common habitats of this type of frog. Individuals can be also found along the banks of streams but they prefer still and shallow water.
American bullfrogs are the largest true frogs existing in North America. Dorsally, their color could be any different shade from brown to green, with darker colored blotches on their backs. They have fully webbed hind legs and white bellies.
There is sexual dimorphism in this species. These differences are evident in throat color and tympanum size relative to the size of the frog’s eye. In males, the external ear is much larger than the eye and the throat is yellow.
In female bullfrogs, the eye and external ear are relatively the same size, or the ear smaller. Also, the female’s throat is white during the breeding season. The frogs are both diurnal and nocturnal but they prefer warm and humid weather.
The male’s call has been described as a low rumbling “jug-o-rum”. Frogs of this species eat terrestrial vertebrates because of their large size. Some are opportunistic enough to eat conspecifics (frogs of the same species).
American bullfrogs are a predatory species and they endanger some other species of frogs as a result. Although humans hunt them for meat (frog legs), they face no threat of extinction. Their foul taste saves them from predation.
2. Cope’s Gray Tree Frog
- Family: Hylidae
- Scientific Name: Hyla chrysoscelis
- Other Names: Southern gray tree frog
- Adult Size: 3.2 to 6 cm (1.26 to 3.26 in)
- Lifespan: 2.5 to 7 years in captivity
Cope’s gray tree frogs are native to North America. They live in the Canadian province of Manitoba. They can also be found in many states of the USA like Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.
Individuals can be found around both temporary and permanent water bodies. They are usually found living in or around wet woodlands like swamps, ponds, lakes, and mixed or deciduous forests.
Both sexes of this species of frogs look alike and they have a white mark underneath each eye. Their bodies are rough and warty, although smoother than the bodies of most toads. They have toe pads, a biological adaptation for climbing.
Their backs have different colors, and coloring is affected by substrate, humidity, and season. The most common color of Cope’s gray tree frogs is gray, although there are some in green and brown. There are black blotches on their backs.
They are nocturnal frogs. They have a high tolerance for freezing temperatures because of the glycerol present in their blood. Their call is a fast high-pitched trill that sounds like a flute.
Some larger frog species have been observed as predators of Cope’s gray tree frogs, probably because of their very small size. They avoid their predators through their nocturnal activity and cryptic adaptation.
3. Gray Treefrog
- Family: Hylidae
- Scientific Name: Hyla versicolor
- Other Names: Dryophytes versicolor, eastern gray tree frog
- Adult Size: 3 to 5 cm (1.18 to 1.9 in); record SVL of 6 cm (2.25 in)
- Lifespan: 7 to 9 years
Another species of frog in West Virginia is the gray tree frog. It is endemic to the eastern part of the USA and the southeastern region of Canada. Some of such places include Connecticut, Indiana, Manitoba, New York, Ontario, and Tennessee.
These hylid frogs live both on trees and on the ground. They are commonly found in small areas full of trees, in trees up to 20 meters above the ground. They are similar in appearance to Cope’s gray treefrogs, with even their calls sounding alike.
Males and females of this species show no physical differences. Their skins are rough and warty, rougher than the average frog but smoother than the average toad. Their toe pads for climbing are large, advanced, and adhesive.
Their dorsal color is usually gray, but there are some gray tree frogs in brown, green, and ivory. They have black spots on their skin. Environmental factors like humidity, substrate, and season may result in changes in their dorsal color.
The color of their venter is white. Black speckles can be found on this white surface towards the frog’s groin. Beneath each eye, there is usually a white mark. Frogs of this species are nocturnal and crepuscular.
The call of a gray tree frog sounds like the call of a Cope’s gray tree frog. The only major difference is that the flute-like trill of a gray tree frog is much shorter in duration than that of its sibling species.
To avoid predation, these frogs live high in trees and change color to blend in with their surroundings (cryptic coloration). Their nocturnality and crepuscular activity also make them less noticed by potential attackers.
4. Green Frog
- Family: Ranidae
- Scientific Name: Lithobates clamitans
- Other Names: Rana clamitans, bronze frog, brown frog, cow frog, Northern green frog
- Adult Size: 7.5 to 12.5 cm (2.95 to 4.92 in)
- Lifespan: up to 10 years in captivity
The green frog is native to the eastern part of North America. It inhabits Arkansas, British Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Manitoba, New Jersey, Nova Scotia, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Vermont, West Virginia, and other places.
This frog is usually found living in, around, or along marshes, bogs, sloughs, slow-moving streams, and rivers. It typically occurs around water but moves into meadows and wooded areas in the rainy periods of the year.
Dorsally, green frogs are mostly green, yellow-green, brown, brownish green, or olive in color. There are some rare individuals that are colored blue. Their bellies are usually any bright shade from yellow to white.
Irregular dark spots can be noticed on their backs. There are transverse bands on the legs of this type of frog. Their toes are extensively webbed. Sexes can be differentiated by tympanum size and throat color.
While the tympanum on the males of this species is much larger than the eye, it is usually the same size as the eye in females. Males have bright yellow throats, while the throats of their female conspecifics are white.
The green frog is both nocturnal and diurnal. Its call is a twang, sounding like a banjo string when plucked. This medium to large-sized frog eats other chordates like small frogs and it is sometimes hunted by humans for frog legs.
Their excellent vision helps them detect both predators and prey. Another anti-predator technique of theirs is mimicry.
They resemble foul-tasting mink frogs so they occur together, making their attackers less interested in eating them.
5. Mountain Chorus Frog
- Family: Hylidae
- Scientific Name: Pseudacris brachyphona
- Other Names: Appalachian mountain chorus frog
- Adult Size: 2.5 to 3.8 cm (1 to 1.5 in); 2.8 cm (1.1 in) on average
- Lifespan: 0 to 5 years in the wild (for only 15% of eggs), up to 7 years in captivity
Mountain chorus frogs are found in two separate populations. The first is the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The other is in central and northern Alabama.
Individual frogs of this species are usually found in places with lots of trees. Preferring to breed in shallow pools and ditches, they mostly live in high elevations, as high as 1.05 km (3,444.88 ft).
Dorsally, they could be colored in any shade of hue from gray to olive. However, most of them are light brown and they have spots of varying shades of brown down their backs. This dorsal color can also change with age.
A dorsal stripe is usually present on these frogs and it runs across their eyes and back. They have a marking on their backs that resembles reverse parentheses { )( }. These parentheses may touch and form an X shape on their backs.
There is slight sexual dimorphism in this species. The throats of males can be any color between yellow and black, while females have white throats. Between the eyes of a mountain chorus frog, a dark triangle can be noticed.
Like most chorus frogs, it has a white line on its upper lip. Under its legs, flashes of yellow can be seen. Larger frogs, like bullfrogs, and snakes are known predators of this small-sized frog.
Mountain chorus frogs are crepuscular and nocturnal. Their call is described as a succession of rapid, high-pitched, and slightly shrill chirps.
They are cryptically adapted to their environment as their dorsal color blends into the leafy surroundings, making them less conspicuous to predators.
6. Northern Cricket Frog
- Family: Hylidae
- Scientific Name: Acris crepitans
- Other Names: N/A
- Adult Size: 1.3 to 3.6 cm (0.5 to 1.5 in)
- Lifespan: 4 months in the wild, up to 4.9 years in captivity
Another species of frog in West Virginia is the northern cricket frog. It can be found in parts of Canada and Mexico. In the US, it inhabits other states like Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New York, and North Carolina.
Although they are hylid frogs (frogs in the tree frog family), they do not live on trees. They are found along ponds, streams, lakes, and rivers with budding vegetation. They do not leave the vicinity of water even in adulthood.
Northern cricket frogs are small with warts on their skin. They have small waists, webbed toes, and a triangle mark between their eyes. Their hind limbs are fairly long but do not have toe pads for climbing.
The dorsal color of these frogs is usually gray, light brown, or green. Many individuals have a mid-dorsal stripe, colored in any shade between orange and brown, running down their backs.
Dark bands or stripes can be seen on their thighs. From each eye, there is a line on the northern cricket frog. These two lines reach each forelimb of the frog. They prefer to live near or around open shallow water.
They are diurnal, and their call sounds much like two stones clicking together rapidly. They have a powerful jump of over three feet, likened to a six-foot human jumping 200 feet. They jump in a zigzag manner to escape predators.
7. Northern Leopard Frog
- Family: Ranidae
- Scientific Name: Lithobates pipiens
- Other Names: Rana pipiens, meadow frog, grass frog
- Adult Size: 5 to 11.5 cm (1.97 to 4.5 in)
- Lifespan: 0 to 9 years in the wild
The northern leopard frog species is common in the states of Minnesota and Vermont and it is their state amphibian. The frog is native to Canada and the United States and found in other places like Iowa, Michigan, and Prince Edward Island.
This type of frog likes to live around permanent, slow-moving water with aquatic vegetation. They move far from the water when it is not the breeding or reproductive season. They prefer living in open spaces to living in woodlands.
Dorsally, they have green, greenish-brown, or yellow-green coloration. They have smooth skin covered in large oval spots. Each spot is bordered by a halo of lighter pigment, bearing similitude to the spots on a leopard’s skin.
Ventrally, they are typically white or cream in color. There are two distinct ridges on the back of the northern leopard frog, running along each side. Males are usually smaller than females, possessing large thumb pads and dual vocal sacs.
In the spring, these frogs migrate to ponds to breed and then leave for grasslands or meadows in the summer. They are more nocturnal when breeding and more diurnal when foraging.
The call of a northern leopard frog is short and sounds like snoring. It avoids predators by leaping quickly and blending into a vegetative environment. Because of their likeness, these frogs mimic pickerel frogs to avoid being eaten.
8. Pickerel Frog
- Family: Ranidae
- Scientific Name: Lithobates palustris
- Other Names: Rana palustris
- Adult Size: 4.5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 4 in)
- Lifespan: N/A
This frog species is native to North America, and resident in the USA and Canada. Some states and provinces that it inhabits are Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Texas.
Individual pickerel frogs have been found living in or around cool streams with trees, swamps, springs, grassy fields, prairies, and weed-covered locations. They prefer to live near unpolluted water sources.
They have two lines of dark chocolate-colored spots on their backs, and these spots are shaped like squares. These two lines run between two dorsolateral folds in their back that extend to their groin area.
Along their upper jaw runs a light line. The ventral coloration on pickerel frogs is usually white, bright yellow, or yellow-orange. Their bellies may also be mottled. The skin under their groins and hindlegs is any shade from bright yellow to orange.
Males are typically smaller in size than their female conspecifics. These males have short forearms and swollen thumbs that the females lack. Pickerel frogs are nocturnal. Their call is low and snore-like.
They are medium-sized so they are easily eaten by larger frogs. To protect themselves from predation, they secrete toxic fluids that are poisonous enough to kill small mammals or cause discomfort and irritation to humans.
9. Spring Peeper
- Family: Hylidae
- Scientific Name: Pseudacris crucifer
- Other Names: Northern spring peeper, peeper, southern spring peeper
- Adult Size: 1.9 to 3.5 cm (0.75 to 1.3 in)
- Lifespan: 3 years in the wild, up to 4 years in captivity
Spring peepers are found in eastern states of the US and in provinces of Canada. Such places regions include Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Vermont, and West Virginia.
The species has been introduced in Cuba. Individual frogs live on trees in moist woodlands, fields, grassy lowlands, and ponds. They are found hibernating in mud. They live mostly in trees but may also be seen on the ground among leaves.
A spring peeper is typically gray, tan, olive-brown, or brown in color. Ventrally, it is white in color. There is an often irregular brown mark on its X-shaped back. Male and female frogs show no conspicuous sexual dimorphism.
Dark bands can be noticed on the legs of this kind of frog. Its feet are moderately webbed and are adapted with sticky toe pads for climbing. To avoid being attacked, these frogs are cryptically colored to blend in with their environment.
Spring peepers are nocturnal frogs. Their calls are chirp-like, high, and in whistles. They signal the beginning of spring, hence the frog’s common name. To avoid being eaten, they also jump away from predators and aestivate.
10. Upland Chorus Frog
- Family: Hylidae
- Scientific Name: Pseudacris feriarum
- Other Names: Pseudacris triseriata feriarum, Southeastern chorus frog
- Adult Size: 1.9 to 3.5 cm (0.75 to 1.4 in)
- Lifespan: N/A
This is another species of frog in West Virginia. They are found in the eastern and southern parts of, and are endemic to, the United States. Florida, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Texas are some other states that house these frogs.
The usual habitats of choice for these frogs include meadows, moist forests, wetlands, woodlands, grassy areas, and bogs. Throughout their range, they can also be found in swamps, valleys, grassy marshlands, and ponds with plenty of vegetation.
Upland chorus frogs are quite small in size. Their dorsal color is usually brown or gray. They have markings on their backs but these markings differ highly across individuals. Their dorsal surface appears spotted or streaked.
A light line can be noticed across their upper lip. There is also a dark stripe running through each of their eyes and down their backs. Most frogs have three longitudinal stripes on their backs but they may be broken when present or even absent.
Males are frogs of this species are physically different from females, showing sexual dimorphism. Males have a large vocal sac under their chin which is absent in females.
Upland chorus frogs are nocturnal. The call of the males has been likened to the sound produced by running a finger down the bristles of a comb. It is a smooth and fast sound.
11. Wood Frog
- Family: Ranidae
- Scientific Name: Lithobates sylvaticus
- Other Names: Rana sylvatica, the frog with the robber‘s mask
- Adult Size: 3.8 to 8.2 cm (1.5 to 3.25 in)
- Lifespan: 0 to 3 years in the wild, up to 5 years
The wood frog is native to the Nearctic region or realm. It is commonly distributed across North America, in the United States, and Canada. It spends most of its time on the ground or around trees.
A frog of this species can be identified by the mask-like markings across its eyes. These markings give the frog its other common name. Also present is a black patch from each eardrum to the base of each foreleg.
A white outline can be noticed across its upper lip. Its dorsal color could be any shade of gray, green, brown, tan, or rust. It has a lateral mid-dorsal fold, usually bright yellow-brown in color. Ventrally, the frog is colored white.
Some sexual dimorphism can be seen in these frogs. Female wood frogs are more brightly colored dorsally than males. They are also bigger in size and their white bellies fade to a yellow-orange pallor towards the legs.
Males, on the other hand, are smaller in size, with the ventral part of their legs colorful and their dorsum colored darker. Frogs of this species are diurnal. The call of males sounds like the quacking of a duck or the squawking of a chicken.
They are cryptically adapted to their surroundings, blending with the forest floor to evade predators. They also produce poisons to irritate or harm them. When captured, a wood frog lets out a piercing cry (alarm call) to startle its attacker.
Species of Toads in West Virginia
12. American Toad
- Family: Bufonidae
- Scientific Name: Anaxyrus americanus
- Other Names: Bufo americanus, hop toad, east American toad
- Adult Size: 5 to 10 cm (1.97 to 4 in), average SVL of 7.5 cm (2.95 in)
- Lifespan: 1 to 10 years in the wild; up to 36 years in captivity
The American toad is easily the most common toad in North America. It can be found in places across Canada, Mexico, and the eastern part of the United States. It inhabits rainforests, streams, ponds, and even backyards.
Toads of this species could live almost anywhere within this region, provided there is a body of semi-permanent water for them to breed in and thickset vegetation to cover them while they hunt around for food.
Two subspecies of the American toad exist Anaxyrus americanus americanus (Eastern American toad) and Anaxyrus americanus charlesmithi (dwarf American toad). The Eastern American subspecies are found in West Virginia.
They are stout, with yellow or red warts on their skin. This thick dorsal skin is colored differently by each individual. Possible colors include olive green, gray, reddish brown, and tan. The skin could be solid colored or include patterns.
American toads have short legs and their wart patterns are different from those of other toads. Their backs are littered with dark spots, with each spot having one or two warts. They have black pupils with gold circles around them.
The females and males are easily distinguishable. While the male toads have longer throats and overall darker skin, the females possess shorter throats and are generally lighter skinned.
Also, the female toads grow to a larger size than males. Females are usually about 5.6 cm to 11 cm in length when fully grown. Males on the other hand are roughly 5.4 to 8.5 cm at maturity.
American toads are nocturnal but they show activity in warm and humid weather as well. The advertisement call of the male toads is a long, high-pitched, and neat-sounding trill, described as a musical bur-r-r that can last up to 30 seconds.
To protect the toad from predators, a poisonous milky fluid is produced by some glands in its skin. This secretion causes harm if ingested or if it gets into the eyes. All other species of toads are poisonous as well.
13. Eastern Spadefoot
- Family: Scaphiopodidae
- Scientific Name: Scaphiopus holbrooki
- Other Names: Eastern spadefoot toad
- Adult Size: 4.5 to 7.8 cm (1.7 to 3.1 in)
- Lifespan: 5 to 9 years in the wild, 7 to 10 years in captivity
Another species of toad in West Virginia is the eastern Spadefoot. It is endemic to North America, found in southern New England, down to Florida along the Atlantic Coastal Plain, past the Mississippi Valley, and north into Tennessee.
These small or medium-sized toads like to live in sandy soil, moderate temperature, and rainy regions. This is because they like to burrow into the ground. They also live in swamps, grasslands, farmlands, and temporary pools.
Eastern spadefoots are dark-colored toads. The skin on their backs is full of warts. Their dorsal color may be any different shade ranging from olive to black. Their bellies could be colored in any light shade from gray to white.
Along their backs are two conspicuous lines that taper at the posterior end. They have small parotid glands and black spade-like protrusions on their hindlegs for burrowing. The color and darkness of skin are affected by the environment, not sex.
They are active both in the day and at night, but they are more diurnal. They show heightened activity when the weather is humid. Their call is a low-pitched “waaaaa” repeated at short intervals.
To avoid predators, the eastern spadefoot quickly buries itself in the soil which its skin blends with. It covers itself with leaves and twigs for protection and insulation. It also produces a foul-tasting and foul-smelling secretion.
14. Fowler’s Toad
- Family: Bufonidae
- Scientific Name: Anaxyrus fowleri
- Other Names: Bufo fowleri
- Adult Size: 5.1 to 9.5 cm (2 to 3.75 in)
- Lifespan: about 5 years
Fowler’s toads are found in the eastern region of the United States and Ontario, Canada, along the Atlantic coastal plain. Other US states that they occur in include Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, New York, Virginia, and West Virginia.
They like to live on beaches, in savannas with widely spaced trees and open canopy, and in grasslands that are conducive to the growth of grasses but not taller trees. Primarily, they prefer to live in open spaces.
Fowler’s toads are small- to medium-sized toads. Dorsal coloration is usually tan, gray, brown, or greenish gray. They have dark or black spots on their backs, and each black spot could have three to six warts.
Toads of this species characteristically have a white or light mid-dorsal stripe. Their undersides are lightly colored and have a single gray spot on them. Typically, the male toads are darker in color, and the females lighter.
Fowler’s toads are primarily nocturnal but they are also active in the daytime except in extreme heat or cold. Their call sounds like a baby crying or a sheep bleating. It usually lasts for 2 to 5 seconds.
This species is considered to be at risk. This is due to the activities of off-road vehicles, the use of chemicals in agriculture, and predation. Thankfully, this species of toad employs various methods to avoid or ward off predators.
Fowler’s toads are cryptically colored to blend into their environments. If roughly handled by predators, they pretend to be dead by lying still. Like other toads, they secrete poison from warts on their skin and their parotid glands.
FAQs
Are there any poisonous frogs or toads in West Virginia?
Yes, there are poisonous frog and toad species in West Virginia. All species of toads are poisonous, and some frogs secrete toxins as well. The poisonous frogs in West Virginia are pickerel frogs and wood frogs.
Does West Virginia have frogs?
Yes, West Virginia has frogs. There are eleven (11) species of frogs in the state, including American bullfrogs, Cope’s gray tree frogs, gray tree frogs, green frogs, mountain chorus frogs, northern cricket frogs, northern leopard frogs, pickerel frogs, spring peepers, upland chorus frogs, and wood frogs.
Conclusion
West Virginia is home to eleven (11) species of frogs and three (3) species of toads. Out of the fourteen (14) anuran species, only eastern spadefoot toads are endangered or threatened species.
Most frogs and toads are either small or medium-sized. For this reason, they have various techniques to avoid or ward off their predators. Frogs have long legs for leaping or jumping, while toads have poisonous secretions against predators.
Some species of frogs are also poisonous but most are not. This makes frogs better pet options than toads. Common predators and hunters of anurans include birds, larger frogs, snakes, raccoons, small mammals, fish, and even humans.
Anurans are colored to match their environments — aquatic, terrestrial and arboreal. Their dorsal skin is usually the color of the ground or the color of vegetation, and some species can change color to match different surroundings.
Ventrally, they have a light color, usually white, cream, or bright yellow. This adaptive coloration camouflages them. In water, aquatic predators below mistake their light bellies for the light entering the water body.
Other predators that live on land or in trees may mistake them for vegetation when they are on trees, around shrubs, or in water, because of the color of their dorsal skin. This saves them from predation.
While some species are more active during the day (diurnal), others may be more active at night (nocturnal) or at dusk and dawn (crepuscular). Being active in the cover of darkness makes them less seen and therefore less prone to predation.
Frogs and toads have widely spaced eyes for clear and broad vision, and external eardrums to sense movement around them and calls of their conspecifics. Adult anurans primarily feed on insects and other non-insect arthropods.
Toads typically have short legs and stout bodies, and so they move slowly by walking or hopping. Frogs have longer legs and more slender bodies, so they are able to move faster by jumping, leaping, and swimming in water.
Anurans are solitary for most of the year. They prefer to live alone except in the breeding or reproduction season when they can be found in large groups. During this time, males congregate at breeding pools and call out to females.
They call with their peculiar breeding or advertisement calls. If interested, females meet them and they mate. Eggs are fertilized externally in water, except in frogs of the genus Ascaphus (tailed frogs).
For fertilization to occur, females release their eggs into the water body and then males release sperm into the water to fertilize the eggs. After fertilization, little or no parental care is shown towards the young.
Because of a lack of parental investment, most eggs are eaten before they are able to develop into adults. Eggs go through two additional stages of development (metamorphosis), growing into larvae (tadpoles) and then into adults.
Because they are cold-blooded, anurans cannot comfortably live in extremely hot or cold weather. They are unable to regulate the internal temperatures of their bodies and so they have mechanisms to survive extreme heat or cold.
They hibernate during the colder winter months and aestivate during the hotter months of summer. They are of positive economic importance to man as they eat the insects that are household and crop pests, and feed larger animals in turn.
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