Green frogs are often seen in the wetlands of Florida, and their ability to adapt to different environments has made them one of the most successful amphibians in the state. While some green frogs in Florida prefer to live in wetlands, others can be found living on trees.
Let’s explore some of these frogs living in the state and their unique characteristics.
12 Green frogs in Florida
1. American green tree frog
- Scientific Name: Dryophytes cinereus
The American green tree frog is a slender amphibian with a vivid green coloration that you can find in Florida. They’re a bright shade of green in color, and their lengths can reach a maximum of 2.5 inches.
These creatures are common in southeast Florida and can be found in open canopies of forests and permanent waters with a lot of plant life. They’re also frequently seen sitting atop grasses, low branches, and twigs in their natural environments.
2. Green frog
- Scientific Name: Rana clamitans
The Green frogs are one of the many species of green frogs that can be found in Florida. They can reach a length of 3.9 inches and have brown, gray, or dark green bodies with brown or green heads.
Additionally, they have a ridge that runs from the side of their heads to the bottom of their bodies. These creatures are found in various ecosystems, such as freshwater ponds with shallow water, ditches along roadsides, lakes, swamps, and streams.
3. Cope’s gray tree frog
- Scientific Name: Dryophytes chrysoscelis
The Cope’s gray tree frog is an amphibian that tends to blend in with the branches of the trees because of its grayish-green coloring. They’re most likely to be found in habitats consisting of wooded areas, where they can be observed perching on pipes that are situated close to trees and along the edges of wetlands.
In addition, this species is an opportunistic feeder, meaning that it’ll occasionally consume small frogs and snails.
4. Florida bog frog
- Scientific Name: Lithobates okaloosae
The Florida bog frog is a species of frog that’s known for its small size and its preference for living in slow-moving backwaters and seepages that are connected to streams with sandy bottoms. The males have yellow throats and are a light green color overall. Compared to other American frogs, this species has less webbing on its feet.
5. Pine Barrens tree frog
- Scientific Name: Dryophytes andersonii
Common in the seepage bog pools of the Florida Panhandle is a tree frog species known as the Pine Barrens tree frog. These frogs are on the smaller side and are an emerald green color with a white stripe running down each side of their body.
They strongly prefer living in damp environments, such as pitch pine forests, areas with intermittent streams and ponds, stream backwaters, bogs, and swamps.
6. Pig frog
- Scientific Name: Lithobates grylio
The pig frog is a native amphibian to the United States and can be found from South Carolina to Texas and Florida. They got their name from the sounds they make when they’re mating, which sound like pigs snorting. Their primary diet consists of crayfish, but these amphibians will eat other small animals like frogs and snakes if they’re available.
7. Barking tree frog
- Scientific Name: Dryophytes gratiosus
The barking tree frog can be found all over the state of Florida, except for the Everglades and the Keys. These amphibians usually live in trees, but when it gets too hot, they burrow into the ground to stay cool.
These tree frogs can be bright or dull green, brown, yellowish, or gray, with gray or greenish spots on their bodies. When this animal feels threatened, it puffs up to make itself look bigger and intimidate its predators.
8. American bullfrog
- Scientific Name: Lithobates catesbeianus
The American Bullfrog is a type of green frog that you can find in the state. These amphibians are large, olive-green frogs that can weigh more than 2 pounds and are known for devouring animals much smaller than themselves.
Because of their ambush hunting style, they wait for their prey to come to them. Furthermore, they’ll consume nearly anything that can fit in their mouths.
9. Gray tree frog
- Scientific Name: Dryophytes versicolor
There is a good chance that you have seen a gray tree frog in Florida if you have ever seen a green frog hanging from a tree in Florida. Individuals of these species can switch from gray to green or brown to better blend in with their surroundings.
They spend most of their lives alone, but during the breeding season, they’ll call out to and interact vocally with other tree frogs. They’re common in forest settings and spend most of their time living in the trees.
10. Bird-voiced tree frog
- Scientific Name: Dryophytes avivoca
The Panhandle of Florida is home to various fascinating amphibian species, including the bird-voiced tree frog. Living in wooded swamps near streams and rivers, these frogs can be recognized by the pale gray or brown upper part that turns pale green depending on temperature and activity level.
These species have vocalizations that can be described as sounding like bird whistles, which is where they got their name.
11. Northern cricket frog
- Scientific Name: Acris crepitans
The Northern Cricket Frog is a small species of frog that gets its name from its distinct call, which resembles the chirping of crickets. This frog has irregular blotching patterns on its body, and its coloration ranges from gray to green to brown.
They’re found in the state of Florida, more specifically in the panhandle of the state, and you are most likely to spot them in watery areas that are relatively open, shallow, and rich in aquatic vegetation.
12. Squirrel tree frog
- Scientific Name: Dryophytes squirellus
The squirrel tree frog is a tiny amphibian typically found in Florida and typically green in coloration, though it can also be yellow or brown. Its range extends from Virginia to eastern Texas to the Florida Keys, and you can find it in a variety of habitats, including fields, swamps, open wooded areas, and even urban areas. Because of their scolding, and raspy calls that sound like squirrels, these frogs are called squirrel tree frogs.
Louise writes about a wide variety of topics including wildlife, animals, and nature. She’s developed a growing interest in animal biology and categorization due to her fascination with how they interact with one another and with their surroundings.