A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California
California Frog and Toad Calls
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camera icon to watch a short video.
| Name (Non-native = non-native Species) |
Short Sound |
More Sounds |
Short Video of Call |
Breeding Season (/ = part of the month) |
Description of call | Time | Location | |||||||||||||
| J. | F. | M. | A. | M. | J. | J. | A. | S. | O. | N. | D. | Night | Day | Air | Under Water |
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| Anaxyrus boreas boreas Boreal Toad |
 |
More |
 |
J | F | M | A | M | M | / | A faint high -pitched plinking sound, like the peeping of a chick or a distant flock of geese. | N | D | A | ||||||
| Anaxyrus boreas halophilus California Toad |
|
More | |
J | F | M | A | M | J | / | A faint high -pitched plinking sound, like the peeping of a chick or a distant flock of geese. | N | D | A | ||||||
| Anaxyrus californicus Arroyo Toad |
|
More | |
M | A | M | J | J | A loud fast musical trill, about 10 seconds long, rising in pitch, and ending abruptly. |
N | A | |||||||||
| Anaxyrus canorus Yosemite Toad |
|
More | |
M | J | J | / | A long, loud rapid musical trill, repeated at frequent intervals. |
D | A | ||||||||||
| Anaxyrus cognatus Great Plains Toad |
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More | |
/ | A | M | J | J | A | S | An extremely loud explosive jackhammer-like trill lasting from 5 seconds to almost a minute. |
N | D | A | ||||||
| Anaxyrus exsul Black Toad |
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More | |
/ | A | / | A weak chirp, similar to B. b. halophilus. Only a release call is known. | N | D | A | ||||||||||
| Anaxyrus microscaphus Arizona Toad |
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More | |
M | A | M | J | J | A loud fast musical trill, about 10 seconds, rising in pitch, and ending abruptly. | N | A | |||||||||
| Anaxyrus punctatus Red-spotted Toad |
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More | |
M | A | M | J | J | A | S | A loud prolonged high-pitched musical trill, lasting up to 10 seconds. | N | A | |||||||
| Anaxyrus woodhousii woodhousii Rocky Mountain Toad |
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More | |
/ | M | A | M | J | J | / | A loud snore or bleating (like a sheep) lasting 1 - 4 seconds | N | A | |||||||
| Ascaphus truei Coastal Tailed Frog |
Does Not Call | This frog is not known to make a breeding call or any other sound. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Incilius alvarius Sonoran Desert Toad |
|
More | M | J | J | A | S | A weak, low-pitched whistling screech, 1/2 - 1 second in duration. |
N | A | ||||||||||
| Eleutherodactylus coqui Common Coquí Non-native |
|
|
J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | A loud two-part peep "Ko-Kee" with the accent on the "kee" approx. 1/2 second in duration.
(Breeding, therefore calling, can occur year-round in this frog's native habitat, but probably only occurs during when it's warm and wet in California.) |
N | A | |||
| LIthobates berlandieri Rio Grande Leopard Frog Non-native |
|
More | |
J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | A loud, short, low-pitched trill or rattle, lasting uder a second, given singly or rapid 2 - 3 trills. | N | D | A | |
| Lithobates catesbeianus American Bullfrog Non-native |
|
More | |
M | J | J | A | A loud low-pitched two-part drone or bellow, popularly described as "jug-o'-rum." |
N | D | A | |||||||||
| Lithobates pipiens Northern Leopard Frog |
|
More | |
M | A | M | J | A loud low gutteral snore-like rattle, which has been compared to a small motor boat engine. | N | D | A | |||||||||
| Lithobates sphenocephalus Southern Leopard Frog Non-native |
|
? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | A grating, croaking, chuckling sound, made at night. | N | A | ||||||||||
| Lithobates yavapaiensis Lowland Leopard Frog |
|
More | |
/ | F | M | A | Several loud, short low chuckles, sounding like quick, short, kisses. | N | D | A | |||||||||
| Pseudacris cadaverina California Treefrog (or Chorus Frog) |
|
More | |
F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | / | A loud quick low-pitched duck-like quacking that ends abruptly, given repeatedly | N | D | A | ||||
| Pseudacris h. hypochondriaca Baja California Treefrog |
|
More | |
J | F | M | A | M | J | J | N | D | High-pitched, loud and two parted. Typically described as rib-it, or krek-ek w/the last syllable rising in inflection. Also a high-pitched, one parted, or enhanced call. | N | D | A | ||||
| Pseudacris regilla Pacific Treefrog |
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More | |
J | F | M | A | M | J | J | N | D | High-pitched, loud and two parted. Typically described as rib-it, or krek-ek w/the last syllable rising in inflection. Also a high-pitched, one parted, or enhanced call. | N | D | A | ||||
| Pseudacris sierra Sierran Treefrog |
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More | |
J | F | M | A | M | J | J | N | D | High-pitched, loud and two parted. Typically described as rib-it, or krek-ek w/the last syllable rising in inflection. Also a high-pitched, one parted, or enhanced call. | N | D | A | ||||
| Rana aurora Northern Red-legged Frog |
|
More | J | F | / | / | N | D | A weak series of 5 - 7 notes, sounding like uh-uh-uh-uh-uh, lasting 1 - 3 seconds. |
N | D | UW | ||||||||
| Rana boylii - Foothill Yellow-legged Frog |
|
More | |
A | M | J | / | A faint one-note low-pitched, raspy series of 4 - 6 notes per second, with grunts, oinks and rattling. | N | D | A | UW | ||||||||
| Rana cascadae Cascades Frog |
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More | |
M | A | M | J | J | / | A faint series of low grating clucking noises. |
N | D | A | UW | ||||||
| Rana draytonii California Red-legged Frog |
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More | |
J | F | M | A | / | D | A weak series of 5 - 7 notes - uh-uh-uh-uh-uh, lasting 1 - 3 seconds, ending with a growl. |
N | D | A | UW | ||||||
| Rana luteiventris Columbia Spotted Frog |
|
More | |
F | M | A | M | J | / | A weak series of short clicking or knocking notes lasting up to several seconds. | D | A | UW | |||||||
| Rana muscosa So. Mtn. Yellow-legged Frog |
WSA | M | A | M | J | J | A faint, short, rasping, often accellerated and rising at the end. Sometimes preceeding calls don't rise at the end. | D | A | UW? | ||||||||||
| Rana pretiosa Oregon Spotted Frog |
|
More | / | M | A | M | J | / | A weak series of rapid low clicks or knocks. | D | A | ? | ||||||||
| Rana sierrae - Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog | |
More | |
M | J | J | A | A faint, short, rasping, often accellerated and rising at the end. Sometimes preceeding calls don't rise at the end. | D | A | UW | |||||||||
| Scaphiopus couchii Couch's Spadefoot |
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More | |
M | J | J | A | S | A loud nasal groan descending in pitch similar to a lamb bleating. |
N | A | |||||||||
| Spea hammondii Western Spadefoot |
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More | |
J | F | M | A | M | = | = | A loud short trill, like snoring, lasting less than one second. Delayed rain may cause later breeding. | N | A | |||||||
| Spea intermontana Great Basin Spadefoot |
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More | |
/ | A | M | J | J | / | A loud, short 1-3 note duck-like snoring that has been compared to the sound of a flock of ducks slowed down. |
N | A | ||||||||
| Xenopus laevis African Clawed Frog Non-native |
|
More | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | A 2-part trill, about 1/2 second, repeated up to 100 times per minute. Only faintly heard in air. | N | D | UW | |||
| Name (Non-native = Non-native Species) |
Short Sound |
More Sounds |
Short Video of Call |
J. | F. | M. | A. | M. | J. | J. | A. | S. | O. | N. | D. | Description of call | Time | Location | ||
| Breeding Season (/ = part of the month) |
Night | Day | Air | Under Water |
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