Illinois Frogs and Toads

              Photographs by Michael Redmer©.
Frogs and toads are not shown in equal proportion to actual size. Frogs and toads are the most conspicuous members of a very
secretive group of animals called amphibians. Frogs and toads are
well known for their mating call and long, insect-catching tongue.
They are excellent gauges of environmental health because of their close
contact with aquatic, wetland, and terrestrial* environments. They have moist,
sensitive skin that allows chemicals in the environment to pass into their
bodies. Furthermore, their eggs lack a hard shell so their developing young
also are directly exposed to the environment. The puzzling disappearance
of some frog and toad species in remote, pristine parts of the world has
scientists concerned about overall planetary health.
*see glossary
1. wood frog, Rana sylvatica
2. northern leopard frog, Rana pipiens
3. chorus frog complex, Pseudacris triseriata-maculata*
4. Fowler’s toad, Bufo fowleri
5. green treefrog, Hyla cinerea
6. green frog, Rana clamitans
7. spring peeper, Pseudacris crucifer
8. gray treefrog complex, Hyla chrysoscelis-versicolor*
9. cricket frog, Acris crepitans
10. southern leopard frog, Rana sphenocephala
11. American toad, Bufo americanus
12. plains leopard frog, Rana blairi
13. bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana
14. eastern spadefoot, Scaphiopus holbrookii
15. eastern narrowmouth toad, Gastrophryne carolinensis
16. Illinois chorus frog, Pseudacris streckeri illinoensis
17. bird‑voiced treefrog, Hyla avivoca
18. crawfish frog, Rana areolata
19. pickerel frog, Rana palustris
20. upland chorus frog, Pseudacris feriarum
This poster was made possible by:
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Division of Education
Illinois Natural History Survey
Illinois State Museum
Illinois Department of Transportation
Text: Christopher Phillips (Illinois Natural History Survey)
Design: Illinois State Museum
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I l l i n o i s
Frogs & Toads
Key
* Both the western chorus frog, Pseudacris triseriata, and the boreal chorus frog, Pseudacris maculata, are found in Illinois. They are
difficult to distinguish by their appearance, so they are represented by one image on this poster. The eastern gray treefrog,
Hyla versicolor, and Cope’s gray treefrog, Hyla chrysoscelis, also are similar in appearance and are represented by one image.