Mississippi is home to many different types of frogs, but it can be difficult to tell them apart without the help of an expert herpetologist or biologist.
Fortunately, there are several ways to identify and classify these amphibious creatures without needing a degree in biology.
Read this blog post today to learn how to identify the various types of frogs in Mississippi.
1. American Toad
The American Toad is a well-known frog now found in the state. It is a medium-sized green or brownish-colored amphibian with short legs and a short, snouted face.
These frogs in Mississippi are mostly nocturnal, meaning they’re most active at night and stay hidden during the day.Â
These types of frogs in Mississippi can be found throughout much of the state, but they are more common near water sources such as ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams.
The first time you see one, you may mistake it for a small turtle or lizard due to its coloration and shape.
2. Oak Toad
The Oak Toad is a frog native to the southeastern United States. It can be found from southern North Carolina to central Florida and as far west as Louisiana. It lives primarily in forests but can also live near streams and ponds.Â
The Oak Toad prefers wet habitats with many trees and leaf litter on the ground, providing cover and moisture for these amphibians.
These types of frogs in Mississippi spend most of their time on land but return to the water if needed or when they are ready to reproduce.
3. Southern Toad
The southern Toad is our most common frog and can be found across the state. They are typically 1-2 inches long but can sometimes grow up to 3 inches.
These frogs in Mississippi are greenish with brown or olive spots on the top, sides, and back; the underside is usually a creamy yellow with dark brown spots around the throat.
Southern toads are usually active during the day, but they will come out at night if it’s hot or there’s been recent heavy rain.
They hibernate from November until late March/April, so you won’t see them much when it’s cold outside.
4. Fowler’s Toad
Fowler’s Toad is a small frog that lives near large bodies of water. Fowler’s Toad can be recognized by its light brown or gray color, distinct dark spots on its back, and dark stripes running down the side.
These types of frogs in Mississippi are sometimes confused with Southern Leopard Frogs because they also have dark spots on their back and a light coloring.
However, Fowler’s Toad has shorter legs than Southern Leopard Frogs, with distinct lines running down the side instead of just one line.
5. Gulf Coast Toad
This is the most commonly seen frog in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. The Gulf Coast Toad can be identified by its green-gray color, white stripe down its back, and two stripes on either side.
These frogs in Mississippi are usually between 1 and 2 inches long and have large sticky pads on their toes to help them climb trees.Â
6. Northern Cricket Frog
The Northern Cricket Frog is a small, brown frog from Nova Scotia down to Virginia in eastern North America.
They are very active during the day and can be seen hopping around on leaves or jumping into ponds.
These frogs in Mississippi are often confused with Bullfrogs because they look similar and have similar habitats, but their calls give them away.Â
The Northern Cricket Frog’s call sounds like an insect chirping or a cricket rubbing its wings together.
7. Southern Cricket Frog
The Southern Cricket Frog, also known as the southern gray tree frog, is a type of frog that lives throughout the South.
They are usually found near lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams. These frogs in Mississippi hibernate underground for six months out of the year and breed during the warmer months.Â
Their skin is typically gray or brown with dark spots, reaching up to 3 inches long. The Green Tree Frog can be found throughout North America.
They are often confused with Southern Cricket frogs because they have similar coloring but can also be distinguished by their webbed toes and yellow underbellies.
Green Tree frogs prefer a leafy habitat, so they typically inhabit trees and shrubs near swamps, rivers, or marshes with plenty of water.
8. Blanchard’s Cricket Frog
Blanchard’s Cricket Frog is one of the most popular types of frogs in Mississippi, but it is easy to mistake for other types of frogs, such as the Northern Leopard Frog.
It is a type of frog found during the day and at night. You will know it because they will jump out on land and then hop like cricket, which is how they get their name.
These types of frogs in Mississippi are also found near or by water sources like streams, lakes, ponds, and marshes.
Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs have yellow spots on their back and sides with dark brown markings behind them.
In addition, these types of frogs in Mississippi have a light stripe that runs down their back with black dots on either side of their head.
9. Southern Chorus Frog
The Southern Chorus Frog is one type of frog that lives in Mississippi. This amphibian is light brown with speckles and often has red or orange spots on its back.
These frogs in Mississippi are approximately three inches long, give off a squeak-like sound when threatened, and can be found near bodies of water or moist ground.Â
To identify this type of frog, look for the following features: smooth skin, wide mouth, and dark patches on the head near the eyes that resemble a bow tie.
If you see any frogs matching this description, please do not handle them because they may release toxins from their skin when they feel threatened.
10. Upland Chorus Frog
The Upland Chorus frog’s large size, wide body, and brown or green coloration make it unmistakable. These frogs in Mississippi can be found near ponds, streams, and other water sources on the forest floor. The males create a deep booming sound at night that can travel up to 2 miles.
The Southern Leopard frog is small and has an irregular pattern of dark spots on its back. It lives near the ground under leaf litter or other debris, which is not easily seen. The male frogs call for mates with short chirps followed by a single long trill.Â
The Green tree frog is also known as the chatterer because it sometimes chatters its teeth when predators like snakes or other frogs threaten it.
11. Ornate Chorus Frog
The ornate chorus frog is a large, green frog with a yellow stripe on its side. These types of frogs in Mississippi are often mistaken for the pig frog but can be distinguished by their calls.
For example, the ornate chorus frog’s call sounds like aaahhh-ooh, whereas the pig frog sounds like ow! Males also have larger tympana than females.
12. Spring Peeper
The spring peeper is a small frog with a dark brown back and light underparts. Spring peepers are also tree frogs because they are often found near or on trees.
The distinctive call can identify these types of frogs in Mississippi that they make during mating season, which sounds like peep-peep.
This sound can be heard at night when the weather is warm enough for them to come out. The spring peeper’s skin secretes a substance that allows it to camouflage itself well against its surroundings.
This frog is called the spring peeper because it is only active during the warmer months, typically from February through June.
13. Bird-voiced Treefrog
The bird-voiced tree frog is a medium-sized frog that measures 3.5 inches long. Its coloration ranges from dark brown to grayish green, but it always has two dorsolateral stripes running the length of its body and a cream or yellow stripe on its back.
These types of frogs in Mississippi are found only in the southern United States and prefer moist, damp environments like cypress swamps and pine Flatwoods.
The bird-voiced treefrog produces a clicking sound when it calls during the breeding season, which lasts from March through September. They also make an O-get sound during this time, which can sometimes be quite loud.
14. Pine Woods Tree Frog
The Pine Woods Tree Frog is small, usually less than 2.5 inches long. The male’s back and sides are dark browns with light spots, while the female’s back and sides are lighter browns with darker spots.
It has a white underside often seen when the frog sits on leaves or other objects near the water’s surface.Â
These frogs in Mississippi do not vocalize much, but they can make a hissing sound when threatened.
It is mainly found in pine forests bordering wetland habitats across eastern North America from Georgia to Nova Scotia, westward along the Gulf Coast into central Texas, and northward into southeastern Minnesota and Wisconsin.
15. Squirrel Tree Frog
Frogs are amphibians and come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. This post will cover the different types of frogs in Mississippi. The Squirrel Tree Frog is a green frog mostly seen on trees.
These frogs in Mississippi have a white stripe down their back with blue dots on their sides. The female often has more color than the male, typically between 2-3 inches long.
Another common frog found in Mississippi is the Southern Leopard Frog, usually brown or green with dark spots or stripes on its back.Â
One interesting fact about these frogs is that it has been observed that they change color as they get older, from green when young to brown as they age.
16. Barking Treefrog
The barking tree frog is a small frog with a light green body and darker green spots. These frogs are usually found near water, hanging out on the trees and bushes near the shoreline. The barkers will make loud calls at night, which is why they got their name.
These frogs in Mississippi are active during the day and night, but more so at night than during the day.
17. American Green Tree Frog
The American green tree frog is a type of tree frog throughout North America. These frogs in Mississippi have a dark green body with a light green belly and can be up to two inches long.
The American green tree frog can often be seen hopping about on the ground or up into trees, looking for insects and small animals.
The male is usually more brightly colored than the female and will call out to attract mates during mating season, which lasts from February through March.
However, it’s important not to disturb these frogs because they are fragile animals that can easily be injured.
18. Cope’s Gray Treefrog
The Cope’s Gray Treefrog, Hyla chrysoscelis, is a common, small treefrog found throughout the southeastern United States.
These types of frogs in Mississippi are difficult to distinguish from other small gray treefrog species because they are so drably colored.
However, one key characteristic distinguishes them from other frogs: their toes have discs that act as suction cups!
This makes it easy for them to climb trees and other plants. The males also have a large tympanum (eardrum), making it easier to vocalize their mating call.
19. Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad
The Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad is a dark green frog with red dots. This species can be found near shallow water, ponds, and streams.
These frogs in Mississippi are typically nocturnal, but they may be seen during the day with recent rainfall.Â
The Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad was once considered extinct until it was rediscovered in 1964 by two boys collecting tadpoles from a roadside ditch near Pearl River, LA.
20. Southern Leopard Frog
Often mistaken for the American Bullfrog, a non-native invasive species, the southern leopard frog is prevalent throughout the South and can be found as far north as Oklahoma.
These types of frogs in Mississippi are usually yellowish brown or green with dark spots or mottling on their skin. Male southern leopard frogs are much smaller than female frogs and have no vocal sacs.
These types of frogs in Mississippi also croak loudly from vernal pools during mating season. Still, this call can be difficult to discern from other amphibians like bullfrogs, so paying attention to other identifying features is important to avoid mistakenly catching a southern leopard frog.
21. Crawfish Frog
The crawfish frog is a small green frog with a large head and small eyes. They are usually found near wetlands, swamps, or ponds.
Their size ranges from 2-4 inches long. The crawfish frog is one of the most common frogs in the United States.
22. Gopher Frog
The gopher frog is also known as the bullfrog, common frog, and American bullfrog. This species of frog is native to the eastern United States. It has a brown body with dark spots that are visible on its back and sides.
The underside is yellow-orange. Females have a light-colored area on the front of their thighs. Males have light-colored vocal sacs that resemble those of some types of toads. Gopher frogs range from 4-10 inches, with females larger than males.
These frogs in Mississippi are commonly found near permanent water sources like lakes, marshes, and ponds, where they eat insects and invertebrates like crayfish, fish, shrimp, snails, slugs, and earthworms.
23. American Bullfrog
The American Bullfrog is one of the most common types of frog. It lives along rivers, streams, ponds, marshes, and coastal areas. The frog is found throughout the state except for the central area.
This type of frog has a large head and flat body with webbed toes on its hind and front legs. It has bulging eyes with a dark stripe going through them.
These animals often sit still on lily pads or other water plants, waiting for prey to come near before lunging out at it.
24. Green Frog
The Green Frog is endemic to North America. The green frog has a black and green coloration, with white spots on its back. These frogs in Mississippi are typically 3 inches long but can reach up to 5 inches long.Â
This type of frog lives near water sources like streams, ponds, or even shallow ditches. This type of frog tends to avoid deep bodies of water like lakes or swamps, where they would be vulnerable due to their size and lack of swimming skills.
These types of frogs in Mississippi are also primarily found within fields near trees that line rivers and creeks and various kinds of wetlands like marshes, bogs, vernal pools, and swamps.
25. Pig Frog
The pig frog is the most common type of frog in Mississippi. It can grow up to five inches long and has a dark green body with a light green stripe down its back. The pig frog lays eggs on logs or water plants near ponds, streams, or other bodies of water.
When the eggs hatch, the tadpoles swim into the pond, becoming adult frogs. Adults live an average lifespan of three years.
They eat bugs and small fish. They have no teeth but have pointed projections called papillae, which tear food apart.
26. River Frog
The river frog is among the types of frogs in Mississippi, found in fresh and saltwater environments. They tend to lay their eggs in freshwater but are known to migrate during the breeding season.
River frogs have large webbed toes on their back legs, allowing them to swim easily across long distances.
Their skin is also covered with small bumps called tubercles, which help them grip rocks or plants. When young, the river frog typically has a green color, but it will turn brown as it matures.
The underside of their skin has a texture that helps them grip onto rocks and plants easily so they can stay still when fishing for prey.
27. Pickerel Frog
The Pickerel frog is among the types of frogs in Mississippi that reside mostly in the eastern and southern regions of the United States.
It is considered an indicator species, meaning it can be used to gauge ecological conditions. If pickerel frogs are present, the ecosystem is healthy and functioning properly.Â
This frog prefers to live near creeks, ponds, lakes, and other wetlands but can also be found near forest streams or roadside ditches.
28. Pickerel Frog
There are many types of frogs in Mississippi. However, the Pickerel frog is the only type that cannot be found outside the state at night on land.
Therefore, they are often mistaken for a southern leopard frog when seen during the day.
While this type of frog can travel across the land, it prefers to spend the most time near water and even live underwater during summer.
In addition to this species, three more types of frogs can be found throughout the state: Bullfrogs, Gray Treefrogs, and Southern Leopard Frogs.
Bullfrogs are typically larger than other frogs and don’t have webbed toes or a long hind toe. Instead, male bullfrogs have an inflatable vocal sac used for mating calls.
29. Greenhouse Frog
The Greenhouse Frog is found from the Gulf Coast states into central Texas and eastward through Louisiana, Arkansas, and Missouri.
Their diet consists mainly of insects, but they occasionally eat small rodents. Greenhouse frogs are most often found near ponds or streams with a lot of vegetation.
These frogs in Mississippi are known for their loud mating calls, which can be heard at a great distance.
Male greenhouses will call to females by croaking loudly and continuously while floating on the water’s surface.
The female joins him by sitting on the water’s surface with her long back legs stretched out on either side of her body.Â
