There are over thirty different types of frogs in Florida. These amphibians find the conditions in which they can grow, live, and prosper to be just right in the Sunshine State because of its humid climate and abundant freshwater bodies.
Small in size and lacking a tail, for the most part, frogs are the dominant members of the amphibian family due to their enormous and diverse population.
These amphibians have a wide range of adaptations in every region of the world.
They also make wonderful companion animals, which can come as a surprise to some people.
1. Barking Tree Frog
The Barking Tree Frog (Dryophytes gratiosus) is a species of treefrog known to inhabit the coastal plains. It is a treefrog of medium size.
They were given this moniker because they produced a loud and explosive call similar to a dog barking.
These types of frogs in Florida are the largest compared to any of the other tree frogs in the United States.
You can find large, circular markings all over the back of Barking Tree Frogs.
Their top bodies can be yellowish, grayish, brown, or dull green in appearance.
These types of frogs in Florida have thick, leathery skin, which other species of frogs in the United States lack.
They can gently change the color of their skin in response to varying light conditions.
2. Greenhouse Frog
Greenhouse Frogs (Eleutherodactylus planirostris) are a frog species native to Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands.
However, despite its endemic status, these frog species have been brought to some areas of the United States, including Florida.
The frogs in question have bright red eyes and a back that is a dull olive-brown color with large stripes going across it.
The undersides of their bodies are a lighter color in comparison. In addition, the back of some frogs is speckled.
3. Eastern Spadefoot
The Eastern Spadefoot (Pelobates syriacus) is a species of the American spadefoot toad native to North America.
This particular species is identifiable by its medium size. The backs of these frogs in Florida are brown, with many yellow stripes across them.
They feature golden pupils in contrast to their dark brown irises, and the bottom of their bodies is a lighter shade of brown than the top.
It is in their nature to be alone, and they spend most of their life buried deep underground, only emerging infrequently to feed or reproduce.
4. Bird-Voiced Tree Frog
The Bird-voiced Tree Frog (Hyla avivoca) is an endemic species of tree frog in the United States.
They typically reside in temperate forests, swamps, and other wetland environments.
These frogs in Florida have cries that sound like birds and are most likely to be heard calling during the spring and summer months. That is how they got their unusual moniker.
The upper body of Bird-voiced Tree Frogs can turn green depending on the temperature and the amount of activity the frogs are engaging in.
The coloration of the Bird-voiced Tree Frog’s upper body is initially a pale gray or brown.
The majority of their undersides are gray, with yellow markings appearing here and there here and there.
5. Pine Woods Tree Frog
The Pine Woods Tree Frog (Dryophytes femoralis) is a tree frog characterized by its diminutive size and native range in the southeastern United States.
The body color of these frogs is extremely variable, ranging from brownish-grey to reddish-brown to grayish-green, and they have numerous dark markings on their backs.
Many people frequently mistake these frogs in Florida for Squirrel Tree Frogs.
However, some dots on their thighs might be white, yellow, or orange, differentiating them from the latter.
Their toes are broad and pad-like, and they have a slight webbed appearance.
They are known as “Morse Code Frogs” because of the staccato noises generated between April and October.
6. Upland Chorus Frog
The Upland Chorus Frog (Pseudacris feriarum) is a species of chorus frog that is quite small and was considered a subspecies of the Western Chorus Frog until very recently.
You can find these types of frogs in Florida in large numbers across the United States.
Although they are primarily brown in appearance, the bodies of upland chorus frogs can range in color from brown to grayish-brown to reddish-brown, although brown is the most common hue.
They have a few dark spots scattered around their back.
7. Southern Cricket Frog
The Southern Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus) is a hylid frog species unique to the southeastern regions of the United States.
It is more popularly known as the “Southeastern Cricket Frog.”
These frogs in Florida are even smaller than Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs, although they look similar to those other frogs.
In addition, they have a more pointed snout, and they can cover a greater distance in a single bound.
The distinctly defined stripe that runs down each of their thighs is yet another characteristic that sets these two apart from one another.
8. Southern Chorus Frog
The Southern Chorus Frog (Pseudacris nigrita) is a small hylid frog indigenous to the southeastern regions of the United States.
They are prevalent in temperate forests and wetland habitats.
The body coloration of these frogs in Florida can range from a light tan to a grayish white.
Small, broken lines or spots are on their backs, and they have tipped toes and small pads on their toes.
Their top lips have a thin black line, a trait that differentiates them from the other species of frogs.
9. Ornate Chorus Frog
Ornate Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris ornata) are a species of tiny frogs that predominantly live in Flatwoods dominated by longleaf pine trees.
These frogs are endemic to the southeastern regions of the United States, and the color of their skin can change depending on where in that region they live.
Even though their bodies are typically red or brown in hue, a few of them have a green coloration.
The underside of their bellies is white and spotted with a light yellow color.
10. Southern Leopard Frog
The Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus) is a large species of true frog native to the eastern regions of North America.
These frogs live in very shallow freshwater bodies and occasionally venture into slightly brackish areas.
These frogs in Florida have big bodies ranging in hue from green to brown, depending on their environment.
They have huge, spherical spots all over their backs, and a yellowish ridge runs along their bodies’ sides.
The limbs of the males of these frogs are significantly larger than those of the females, which is an example of sexual dimorphism.
During the mating season, the males’ vocal sacs swell, causing them to generate a call that resembles a ratcheting trill or a squeaky balloon.
This occurs because the vocal sacs are connected to the males’ larynxes.
11. Little Grass Frog
The smallest species of frog found in North America is called the Little Grass Frog (Pseudacris ocularis).
Even though they are family members of tree frogs, they do not have the arboreal nature of other tree frogs and can only ascend to a height of around 5 feet.
The marshes that are home to most of these frogs are typical of their native habitat in the southeastern regions of the United States.
Their bodies are mostly pale and shiny black, but there may occasionally be a hint of green or pink.
12. Gray Treefrog
The Gray Treefrog (Dryophytes versicolor) is a species of arboreal frog around the size of bullfrogs, and people often refer to it as the “Eastern gray treefrog” or the “Tetraploid gray treefrog.”
The eastern regions of the United States and Canada’s southeastern provinces are the only places you can find these frogs.
The Gray tree frog can change its skin color from gray to green depending on the substrate it is sitting on. This allows it to better blend in with its surroundings.
However, they are not as quick as chameleons to change color. Chameleons are far more adept at this.
It is common practice to utilize the pattern of dark bands that one can find on their legs to differentiate these treefrogs from their more distant relatives, the Cope’s Gray Treefrogs.
This pattern is exclusive to their species and is visible on their legs.
13. Cope’s Gray Tree Frog
The Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Dryophytes chrysoscelis) is a treefrog found throughout most of the United States.
It is also sometimes referred to as the “Southern gray treefrog.”
The Gray Treefrog and several other frogs share a striking resemblance; however, you can find the latter in greater numbers in the southern regions of the United States.
Edward Drinker Cope, an American paleontologist, was the one who initially described them; therefore, they were given his name in honor of his work.
14. Spring Peeper
The Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) are a species of chorus frogs that are quite modest in size and reside in large numbers over the eastern regions of the United States.
The scientific community gave them that name because of the distinctive chirping sound these toads produce at the beginning of each spring.
These frogs in Florida have a black cross that forms on their backs, which gives them the scientific name “crucifer.”
Their body color ranges from tan to brown; the cross gives them their name.
Because of their toe pads’ size, these frogs in Florida are experts at scaling vertical surfaces.
The adults are sexually dimorphic, with males being smaller than females and exhibiting a black neck. Females, on the other hand, do not have this trait.
The skin of females is thinner and less thick than that of males, which results in a lighter physique overall for females.
15. Florida Bog Frog
The Florida Bog Frog (Lithobates okaloosae) is a unique species of true frog that is endemic to the western regions of Florida.
Most of the time, you can find these frogs in slow-moving backwaters or seepages with sand at the bottom.
They have pale green bodies and exhibit sexual dimorphism, in which the males are significantly smaller than the females and have yellow throats. Additionally, males have larger tympana than females do.
Their tadpoles are brown, with light dots on their lower bodies and dark spots on their tails.
Additionally, their lower bodies have speckles with light patches.
16. Pig Frog
Pig Frogs (Lithobates Grylio) are a type of aquatic frog that you may find in the southeastern United States.
They got their name from the grunts that they make, which sound like pigs.
In addition to the name “Lagoon frog,” this frog species is also known as the “Southern bullfrog.”
These frogs in Florida have bodies ranging from grayish-green to green with black spots.
Additionally, some of them have patches of a brownish color.
They have huge eardrums (tympana), sharply pointed noses, and feet covered in webs.
These frogs are frequently confused with the American Bullfrog due to their size and color similarities; however, the American Bullfrog may be distinguished from these frogs by their low, snorting sound.
17. Green Frog
Green Frogs (Lithobates clamitans) are real frogs that range in size from small to medium and reside in the eastern regions of the United States.
The Bronze Frog and the Northern Green Frog are the two subspecies of this frog species. The Bronze Frog is also common in Florida.
The Green Frogs have, as their name suggests, green heads, but the remainder of their bodies can range from dark green and gray to brown.
Their eyes are brown. The undersides of their bodies are white but mottled with black.
The adult females of these frogs have a larger body size than the adult males. This is an example of sexual dimorphism.
The tympanums of males have a diameter approximately twice as large as their eyes; however, the tympanums of females have a diameter approximately the same as their eyes.
In addition, the males have a bright yellow neck, while the females do not have this trait.
18. River Frog
River Frogs (Lithobates heckscheri) are a big species of aquatic frogs only found in the southeastern United States. They are native to this region.
These frogs in Florida have a back that is dark and blackish-green, and their bellies are dark grey with whitish spots and waves all over them.
Although they look similar to American Bullfrogs, they may be differentiated from the former by the distinctive white spots on the lower lip.
In addition, a peculiar whitish ring surrounds each of their groins.
19. American Bullfrog
The American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbianus) is a large member of the family of true frogs that is native to the eastern regions of North America.
In both Canada and the United States, it is most commonly referred to by the name “Bullfrog.
Olive-green coloration is visible on the upper section of their bodies, and there may also be mottling or bands of a grayish-brown color.
In contrast, the undersides of their bodies are a creamy off-white color with spots of yellow and gray.
They have short, powerful forelegs compared to their long, powerful hind legs.
Male American Bullfrogs exhibit sexual dimorphism, which manifests in a size difference between themselves and their female counterparts, as well as the presence of a yellow throat in the former but not the latter.
