10 Types of Frogs in Arkansas: How to Identify Each Native Species
October 6, 2026
Step outside on a warm, damp evening almost anywhere in the Natural State and you’re likely to run into one of the many types of frogs in Arkansas that call the region home. Herps of Arkansas, a research-based identification project, notes that Arkansas is home to 25 frog species from 8 genera across 5 families, a lineup that stretches from thumbnail-sized cricket frogs to a bullfrog heavy enough to fill a dinner plate.
This guide profiles 10 of the state’s most recognizable native frogs and toads, covering size, color, habitat, and call so backyard naturalists can tell one species from another. Whether you’re wading through an Ozark creek or checking porch lights in the Delta, these Arkansas amphibians reward anyone willing to learn their sounds as much as their looks. For a wider look at how frog anatomy differs across species worldwide, see our guide to how many frog species exist.
Pro Tip: Many Arkansas frogs are easier to identify by ear than by eye. Learning a handful of calls — a snore, a chirp, a bird-like whistle — will get you further than memorizing color patterns alone.
Before diving into individual species, a few quick identification habits go a long way:
- Check the skin texture first — smooth and moist usually means a true frog, while dry and warty points to a toad.
- Note any ridges running down the back (dorsolateral folds), which separate several look-alike species.
- Listen for the call, especially during spring chorus season when multiple species overlap in the same pond.
- Pay attention to habitat — tree bark, leaf litter, and open water each favor different species.
| Species | Typical Size | Habitat | Best Time to Hear It Calling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dwarf American Toad | Small, under 2 inches | Gardens, woodland edges, loose soil | Spring rains |
| Fowler’s Toad | Small to medium | Sandy soils near rivers and lakes | Late spring and summer nights |
| Blanchard’s Cricket Frog | Tiny, about 1.5 inches | Streams, pond margins, marshes | Spring through summer |
| Western Bird-voiced Treefrog | Small treefrog | Swamps and wetland trees | April to July |
| Cajun Chorus Frog | Small | Wet fields, ditches, open woodlands | Late winter and early spring |
| Pickerel Frog | Medium | Clean streams and ponds | Spring |
| American Bullfrog | Large, up to 8 inches | Ponds, lakes, and marshes statewide | March to August |
| Green Frog | Medium to large | Ponds, lakes, and streams statewide | Spring through summer |
| Spring Peeper | Tiny, 1 to 1.5 inches | Forest floor near woodland ponds | Late winter and early spring |
| Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad | Small | Leaf litter in moist woodlands | Spring and summer after rain |
1. Dwarf American Toad
The dwarf American toad (Anaxyrus americanus charlesmithi) is one of the subspecies documented in the state’s identification records, alongside its close relative, Anaxyrus fowleri. True to its name, this toad stays noticeably smaller and squattier than the standard American toad found farther north, with dry, warty skin that ranges from reddish-brown to gray depending on temperature and moisture.
Dwarf American toads spend most of the year on land, burrowing into loose garden soil or leaf litter during the day and emerging at dusk to hunt insects. They only return to shallow, temporary water to breed, where males produce a long, musical trill that can carry for a considerable distance on a quiet spring night. Backyard gardeners in Arkansas often encounter this toad tucked beneath flowerpots or porch steps.
2. Fowler’s Toad
Fowler’s toad (Anaxyrus fowleri) is easy to confuse with the American toad at first glance, but this species tends to favor sandy soils near rivers and lakes, where it can burrow quickly to escape midday heat. Fowler’s toads typically show several small warts clustered inside each dark blotch on their back, a helpful clue for separating them from the American toad, whose blotches usually hold only one or two warts each.
This species ranges across much of the eastern and southern United States, with populations that overlap the woodland habitats profiled in our guide to types of frogs in Kentucky. In Arkansas, listen for a short, nasal-sounding call that’s harsher and less musical than the dwarf American toad’s trill — a useful way to tell the two apart without needing a close look.
3. Blanchard’s Cricket Frog
Blanchard’s cricket frog (Acris blanchardi) is one of the smallest frogs likely to turn up around an Arkansas pond. According to field notes compiled by The Frog Lady, the Blanchard’s cricket frog measures an average of 1.5 inches in length, with females running slightly larger, yet these frogs can jump a surprisingly long way — five to six feet — for their small size.
Coloring varies widely: individuals can show a combination of black, yellow, orange, or red on a base of brown or green. The species can be found throughout Arkansas, usually near permanent water sources such as slow-moving streams, lake and pond margins, or marshy areas. It gets its name from a breeding call that sounds like a cricket’s chirp or trill, repeated for about 20 beats, or like two pebbles clicked together. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas adds that related cricket frogs are among the smallest frogs in the United States, and these tiny frogs live from one to two years while remaining quite common across most of the Natural State.
4. Western Bird-voiced Treefrog
The western bird-voiced treefrog (Hyla avivoca) earns its name honestly — its call is often mistaken for an actual bird. This species is found in Arkansas mainly in the southwestern and central regions, where it lives in swamps, creeks, and other wetland-type habitats. Breeding occurs from April to July, with males spending time on tree branches over swamps while calling for a mate, and the call itself sounds similar to a bird’s chirp, which is exactly what gives the species its name.
Green, gray, and brown are common colors for this frog, and according to Bird Watching HQ, it looks very similar to the larger gray treefrog, so identifiers need to pay close attention. These nocturnal treefrogs rarely leave the trees except on rainy nights to breed, and tadpoles take about a month to metamorphose into adults before dispersing into the forest. Its wetland habits echo species covered in our guide to types of frogs in Mississippi, where similar swamp-dwelling treefrogs are common.
5. Cajun Chorus Frog
The Cajun chorus frog (Pseudacris fouquettei) belongs to a group named for its habit of calling in large groups. A large congregation of singing frogs is called a chorus, which is exactly where chorus frogs get their name. In Arkansas, the species is considered secure and occurs statewide except in the southeast and north-central portions of the state.
Cajun chorus frogs typically show a dark stripe running through the eye and broken stripes down the back, calling from wet fields, roadside ditches, and open woodlands well before most other species wake up for spring. A close relative, the Illinois chorus frog, survives in only a handful of sand-prairie counties along Arkansas’s northeastern border, a range that touches habitats discussed in our guide to types of frogs in Illinois.
6. Pickerel Frog
The pickerel frog (Lithobates palustris) resembles a leopard frog at a glance, but a closer look reveals a light gray, tan, or yellowish background covered in leopard-like dark spots that are squarish and arranged in paired rows down the back, framed by a distinct dorsolateral fold on each side. The inside of the thigh carries a yellowish wash, one of the most reliable ways to confirm the species. Listen for a quiet, low-pitched snore lasting one to two seconds rather than a true croak.
According to Herps of Arkansas, the species has been documented throughout much of the northern half of Arkansas and the southwest quarter, with scattered records elsewhere. The pickerel frog is Arkansas’s only poisonous frog, and according to Arkansas Frogs and Toads, its skin can emit a toxic secretion for protection — one that can be deadly to other frogs and keeps most snakes from eating it. Despite that defense, pickerel frogs are usually harmless to humans, since the toxin only causes trouble through direct contact with the eyes or mouth. Compared with the far more dangerous species covered in our roundup of poisonous frog species, the pickerel frog’s chemistry is mild.
Important Note: Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth after handling any frog or toad, and wash your hands thoroughly afterward. This is general safety guidance, not medical advice — seek professional care if irritation persists.
Three quick checks separate a pickerel frog from a similar-looking leopard frog:
- Look at the spots — square and paired rather than round and scattered.
- Check under the thigh — a yellow-orange wash appears only on pickerel frogs.
- Listen to the call — a low snore instead of a chuckling croak.
One more reason to welcome this species: because pickerel frogs are sensitive to water quality, their presence around a pond or stream is generally a good sign of clean water.
7. American Bullfrog
No roundup of Arkansas frog species is complete without Lithobates catesbeianus, the American bullfrog. It is the largest frog in North America, and Arkansas specimens can grow up to 8 inches in length and weigh as much as 1.5 pounds. That figure lines up with observations from Bird Watching HQ, which notes bullfrogs can grow to weigh as much as 1.5 pounds (0.7 kg) and have fully webbed back feet built for powerful swimming.
The American bullfrog can be found statewide, and the Encyclopedia of Arkansas confirms the largest frog, the American bullfrog, can be found in just about any aquatic habitat the state offers, from farm ponds to river backwaters. Breeding runs from March to August, and its call is a very deep sound that resembles the mooing of a cow. During the breeding season, males select and aggressively defend egg sites in shallow water, and the species takes its name from that same deep call, often compared to a bull bellowing.
Arkansas’s bullfrog population is native, but the species has become a troublesome invader in parts of the western United States, including habitats discussed in our guide to types of frogs in Oregon, where introduced bullfrogs prey heavily on native amphibians.
8. Green Frog
The green frog (Lithobates clamitans) is frequently mistaken for a young bullfrog, and for good reason. It is a medium to large sized frog that looks very much like the American bullfrog but is a tad smaller. It can be found near pretty much any water body, such as ponds, lakes, or streams, across the state.
The clearest way to separate the two look-alikes lies in the skin fold along the back: the bullfrog has no dorsal ridge down its back — instead, the ridge wraps around its tympanum — while the green frog carries a true dorsolateral fold running the length of its sides. Another clue comes during breeding season, when males reaching sexual maturity develop bright yellow throats. This range overlaps with green frog populations discussed in our guide to types of frogs in North Carolina, where the species is equally common along slow-moving water.
9. Spring Peeper
The spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) is often the first frog Arkansans hear each year, sometimes calling before the last frost has fully cleared. Adults are small, ranging from 1 to 1.5 inches long, and typically tan or brown, with females showing a lighter color than males. Both sexes usually carry a dark cross or “X” mark on their back — the feature that inspired the species name crucifer, meaning cross-bearer.
Spring peepers are typically found on the forest floor among fallen leaves, even though they have large toe pads built for climbing. Statewide distribution data shows the species occurring mostly statewide, with more scattered records through the eastern part of the state. Their loud spring chorus draws attention from more than just curious hikers — everything from wading birds to the snakes covered in our guide to types of snakes in Arkansas hunts along the same forest floor during peak calling season.
10. Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad
The eastern narrow-mouthed toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis) is a small, secretive species with smooth skin, a pointed snout, and a distinctive fold of skin running behind the eyes. Distribution records list the species as secure and found statewide in Arkansas, though its burrowing habits make it far less visible than most frogs on this list.
This toad spends most of its life hidden under logs, leaf litter, or loose bark, emerging after warm rains to feed almost exclusively on ants and termites — a diet few other Arkansas amphibians rely on so heavily. Its call is a short, buzzy bleat that can be easy to overlook amid a chorus of louder species. Much like the pollinators covered in our guide to types of butterflies in Arkansas, this toad plays a quiet but useful pest-control role that many homeowners never notice.
From the trilling dwarf American toad to the cow-like bellow of the American bullfrog, Arkansas’s frogs and toads offer a full range of sizes, colors, and calls to learn. Spring and early summer bring the most activity, when overlapping breeding seasons fill wetlands, ditches, and backyard ponds with sound. Keeping a simple field notebook of calls and sightings is one of the easiest ways to start recognizing these species on sight — and on sound — throughout the Natural State.