There are twenty-one main types of frogs in Maryland, though there are wide varieties.
The four types of frog we’re going to go over here are the American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), the spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer), the northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens), and the eastern gray treefrog (Hyla Versicolor).
If you’re interested in finding all the different types of frogs in Maryland, read on to learn more about each one!
1. American Bullfrog
One type of frog commonly found throughout the state is the American Bullfrog. These types of frogs in Maryland can be found across Maryland but are more common in the southern counties.
There are two types of this frog: one with a greenish-yellow coloration and one with dark brown or black.
The greenish-yellow variety has a thick body, while the darker variety has a thinner body. These types of frogs in Maryland can grow up to 12 inches long.
When it’s time for mating season, males will call females from bodies of water with their deep, booming calls. Females will lay eggs on plants near the water so they don’t get too far from their young when they hatch.
2. Green Frog
Green frogs are the largest frog in the state, growing up to six inches long. These types of frogs in Maryland are usually found in wetlands, forest ponds, and marshes during the spring breeding season. Females lay their eggs on leaves above the water line.
After about a month, tadpoles emerge from the eggs and fall into the water below, where they will develop into frogs over a couple of months.
Green frogs spend most of their lives near water sources, including swamps, vernal pools, or roadside ditches.
These types of frogs in Maryland can be found throughout much of North America, with populations living as far north as Alaska.
3. Carpenter Frog
The carpenter frog is found throughout Maryland but is commonly found near water. These types of frogs in Maryland are smaller than others but up to 3 inches long. They are often brownish with patterns on their skin.
These types of frogs in Maryland have smooth skin, making predators more difficult to catch. Their diet consists mostly of insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates.
However, when the population is large enough, they have been known to eat lizards, mice, and even snakes! Carpenter frogs can be found all over the state of Maryland near bodies of water such as ponds or streams.
4. Pickerel Frog
Pickerel frogs, one of the most common types of frogs in Maryland, have brown or gray skin. They can be spotted at night around vernal pools, which are pools that form after rain. Their large toes help them swim.
Pickerel frogs eat anything from insects to small animals such as mice. These types of frogs in Maryland also have an interesting mating called ribbit. So, if you’re lucky enough to spot a pickerel frog, make sure not to touch it!
5. Northern Leopard Frog
The northern leopard frog is a type found throughout the United States. These types of frogs in Maryland are predominantly brown or green with dark spots.
Leopard frogs can be found in any type but prefer wetlands such as rivers, ponds, marshes, lakes, and swamps. The leopard frog’s diet consists primarily of insects and small fish.
6. Southern Leopard Frog
The Southern Leopard Frog is one of the most common types of frogs in Maryland but is also the most difficult to find.
They like to live in ponds, streams, marshes, or any other moist habitats. The easiest way to find them is by listening to their call.
You can identify a Southern Leopard frog by its greenish-brown skin and dark blotches. You can also tell if it is a juvenile or an adult by counting the number of black spots on its back. Juveniles have more than adults do. Adults will have 12-14 black spots on their backs, whereas juveniles will have 15-20 black spots.
7. Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog
The Atlantic Coast Leopard frog is the most common in the eastern United States. These types of frogs in Maryland are medium-sized greenbacks with white bellies and yellow spots on their head.
These types of frogs in Maryland usually live near streams or ponds with plenty of vegetation. You can find them by listening to their distinctive call day or night.
8. Wood Frog
Wood frogs are olive green or brown with dark blotches. These types of frogs in Maryland are found in moist, deciduous forests near permanent water sources such as ponds, lakes, or streams. Wood frogs hibernate by burrowing into the ground under logs or leaf litter.
During the summer, they are active at night and early morning hours. Wood frogs live alone except when mating, which takes place from late March to early April.
Females lay eggs one at a time on land above shallow water before returning to the water’s edge for safety.
9. Barking Tree Frog
The Barking Tree frog is a small frog that is about three long. This green tree frog has a triangle-shaped pupil with big eyes.
The frog will call out to other frogs by barking sounds. These types of frogs in Maryland are very agile and jump from tree branch to tree branch.
The Barking Tree Frog can be found on the Eastern side of the US, mostly in southern Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas.
These types of frogs in Maryland live near water sources such as streams or ponds, and vegetation is nearby them for food and shelter from predators such as raccoons or snakes.
Barking Tree types of frogs in Maryland can be found throughout Maryland if you know where to look!
10. Gray Tree Frog
Gray tree frogs are found primarily in the Eastern United States. These types of frogs in Maryland live mostly on trees, where they get their name, but they have also been spotted on rocks, logs, plants, and buildings. Gray tree frogs can be difficult to spot because they blend well into their environment.
These types of frogs in Maryland will often change colors depending on where they sit. For example, if it’s sitting on a light-colored leaf, it will appear light green; if it’s on a dark-colored leaf, it will appear darker green or brownish.
The size of gray tree frogs ranges from 2 to 4. Male gray tree frogs have black spots under their eyes that females don’t have.
11. Cope’s Gray Tree Frog
Cope’s gray tree frog is a small, grayish-brown frog with dark spots. It has large toe pads, and the males have a distinctive call that sounds like chunky chunks, which are found mainly in the eastern region of North America and parts of Central America. Cope’s gray tree frogs are usually found near water or damp ground.
They typically inhabit trees or shrubs near ponds, marshes, swamps, streams, ditches, or other bodies of water. Their habitat ranges from deciduous forests to forested swamps to rural gardens near a pond.
12. Green Tree Frog
The green tree frog is the most abundant in North America. These types of frogs in Maryland are found throughout Canada, the United States, Central America, and South America.
Green tree frogs are often mistaken for being completely green, but they can have dark blotches on their backs that can be seen when they sit still on a branch or against a wall.
They also have an orange underbelly with white spots that can be seen when they are perched on top of leaves or flowers.
Their toes lack webbing, which sets them apart from other types of frogs. The largest species recorded was 2 inches long, while the smallest was only 0.2 inches long.
13. Mountain Chorus Frog
The Mountain Chorus Frog is the most common in Maryland. These types of frogs in Maryland are mostly found near mountain streams, ponds, and lakes. The males make a deep ‘guy-guy sound that can be heard from a distance.
Females lay eggs in masses on leaves or stems over water. Eggs hatch into tadpoles, which then turn into frogs within two weeks.
14. New Jersey Chorus Frog
The New Jersey Chorus Frog is the largest frog species found in Maryland. These types of frogs in Maryland are usually brown or green, with dark spots on their backs.
They can grow up to 4 inches long. The New Jersey Chorus Frog lives primarily near shallow ponds and marshes but can sometimes be found near slow-moving streams. You may hear a loud ribbit while they are calling out during the mating season.
15. Upland Chorus Frog
The most commonly found frog in Maryland is the Upland Chorus Frog, the Northern Spring Peeper. It is one of the only frogs found year-round, with populations peaking during the springtime.
The males make a loud sound called a ribbit to attract females, which can often be heard from long distances away.
Their mating call has been described as sounding like an infant crying or someone blowing across the top of a bottle. The Upland Chorus Frog prefers moist environments such as swamps, wetlands, and damp forests.
These types of frogs in Maryland are usually found near slow-moving creeks or small ponds lined with vegetation.
16. Spring Peeper
The Spring peeper frog is a common species that lives in many of the state’s wetlands, rivers, ponds, and lakes.
It is brown or green with dark spots that make it look like a leopard. These frogs are nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night.
These types of frogs in Maryland eat insects, small animals, fish, tadpoles, frog eggs, and plants. In the winter, they hibernate under logs or rocks on land or underwater in the mud at the bottom of ponds where there is still some water left over during winter.
Then, in spring, they emerge from their hiding spots when the temperatures rise enough for them to become active again.
17. Northern Cricket Frog
There are many types of frogs living throughout the United States. One type that can be found living in Maryland is the northern cricket frog. These frogs are small, with a bright green color and yellow belly on their sides.
These types of frogs in Maryland are typically found near creeks or wetlands but also live near streams and ponds.
Cricket frogs don’t croak like other frogs; instead, they chirp as they hop through the grasses around water. So, if you want to see one, head out to any creek or pond at night with a flashlight!
18. Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad
The eastern narrow-mouthed Toad is a small brown or green-colored frog. These types of frogs in Maryland have a dark line on the head, a light line across the snout, and dark spots on their back.
They can be found in wet areas like ponds, marshes, swamps, lakes, ditches, and slow-moving streams with vegetation nearby.
They are active at night from April through November. Eastern narrow-mouthed toads are easily identified by their distinctive look: small brown or green frogs with a light line across the snout and dark spots on their back.
These frogs spend most of their time at night searching for food from April through November when it’s warm enough outside.
19. Eastern Spadefoot
The Eastern spadefoot is a common species found throughout Maryland. It is small, about the size of a dime, but it can be hard to spot because it is buried under leaves or logs.
It prefers moist habitats with lots of vegetation and can often be found near vernal pools or streams. These amphibians are active at night and can often be heard croaking from underneath logs or piles of leaves.
20. American Toad
The American Toad is the most common species found in our area. This Toad is found near water, often on a log or rock sitting out of the water. These types of frogs in Maryland are brown with white spots and dark brown blotches on their back.
They range from 2-6 inches long. The call of the American Toad is a short, low grunting sound that they repeat at intervals up to five times per second. You may find them during the day or night, but mostly at night when it’s cool outside.
You will often find this frog next to rivers, ponds, lakes, and streams during mating season, around October; you can tell males from females by looking for an orange spot under their chin that corresponds with their vocal sacs.
21. Fowler’s Toad
The Fowler’s Toad is a small, aquatic frog native to the Eastern United States. These types of frogs in Maryland are found primarily in the northern region but can be spotted as far south as Florida. It is found in ponds, lakes, marshes, and streams.
The Fowler’s Toad will sit with its back part out of the water while it hunts for insects on the surface. When threatened or disturbed, it will dive into the water, where it can stay under for up to 10 minutes before resurfacing.
This frog is most commonly brown or greenish-brown with darker spots on its back that change shape according to how dry or wet its skin is at any given time.
