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A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California




California Frog and Toad Calls

More Lists And Information About California Frogs and Toads
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
Anaxyrus boreas boreas
Boreal Toad
speaker icon More
Movie Icon 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
speaker icon More Movie Icon 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
speaker icon More Movie Icon     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 Movie Icon         M J J /       A long, loud rapid musical trill, repeated at frequent intervals.
  D A  
Anaxyrus cognatus
Great Plains Toad
speaker icon More Movie Icon     / 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
speaker icon More Movie Icon     / A /               A weak chirp, similar to B. b. halophilus. Only a release call is known. N D A  
Anaxyrus microscaphus
Arizona Toad
speaker icon More Movie Icon     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
speaker icon More Movie Icon     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
speaker icon More Movie Icon   / 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
speaker icon 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
speaker icon   Movie Icon 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

speaker icon More Movie Icon 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
speaker icon More Movie Icon         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
speaker icon More Movie Icon     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
speaker icon More Movie Icon / F M A                 Several loud, short low chuckles, sounding like quick, short, kisses. N D A  
Pseudacris cadaverina
California Treefrog
speaker icon More Movie Icon   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
speaker icon More Movie Icon 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
speaker icon More Movie Icon 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
speaker icon More Movie Icon 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
speaker icon 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
speaker icon More Movie Icon       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
speaker icon More Movie Icon     M A M J J /         A faint series of low grating clucking noises.
N D A UW
Rana draytonii
California Red-legged Frog
speaker icon More Movie Icon 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
speaker icon More Movie Icon   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
speaker icon More     / M A M J /           A weak series of rapid low clicks or knocks.   D A ?
Rana sierrae  - Sierra Nevada  Yellow-legged Frog speaker icon More Movie Icon         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
speaker icon More Movie Icon         M J J A S       A loud nasal groan descending in pitch similar to a lamb bleating.
N   A  
Spea hammondii
Western Spadefoot
speaker icon More Movie Icon 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
speaker icon More Movie Icon     / 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

speaker icon
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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