Types of Frogs

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Frogs and toads belong to an order of amphibians called Anura, which means tailless amphibians.

From a scientific standpoint, there is no real difference between frogs and toads, however common generalizations abound.

Frogs are often characterized as having moist skin and more often than not living near water. Toads are often characterized as having dry skin with warts and often found living away from water.

At last count, close to 5,000 different frog and toad species have been documented world-wide, organized into twenty-five different families.

The ninety Anura species native to the United States fit into nine different families, with True Frogs, Tree Frogs and True Toads accounting for eighty per cent of all the species.

• Ascaphidae: Tailed Frogs (1 species)
• Bufonidae: True Toads (21 species)
• Hylidae: Treefrogs (25 species)
• Leptodactylidae: Neotropical Frogs (6 species)
• Microhylidae: Narrow-mouthed Frogs (2 species)
• Pelobatidae: Spadefoots (7 species)
• Pipidae: Tongueless Frogs (1 species)
• Ranidae: True Frogs (26 species)
• Rhinophrynidae: Burrowing Toads (1 species)

The popularity of frogs means many non-native species can also be found in the United States. Scientists express concern about the possibility of these non-native species escaping into the wild and disrupting the habitat of native frog species.

The Cuban treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) and Greenhouse frog (Eleutherodactylus planirostris), for example, have been introduced into Florida, with evidence that the Cuban Treefrog prays on native frogs and toads.

Two types of Caribbean Treefrogs, the Coqui frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui) and the Greenhouse frog (E. planirostris) have established populations in Hawaii. Because they eat insects, scientists express concern that their burgeoning populations could disrupt the Hawaiian ecosystem.

© 2008. Patricia A. Michaels