List of amphibians of Arizona facts for kids

A map of Arizona

Amphibians are amazing creatures that can live both in water and on land! In Arizona, you can find many different kinds of amphibians, like frogs, toads, and salamanders. The official state amphibian of Arizona is the Arizona tree frog.

Arizona is a special place because it has many different types of environments. Its mountains are like "sky islands" where different heights create unique homes for specific animals. For example, the eastern barking frog lives only on mountains in Arizona at certain elevations. Even though Arizona is mostly dry, important rivers like the Colorado River create wet areas where amphibians can thrive.

Meet Arizona's Amphibians: Frogs, Toads, and Salamanders

Frogs and Toads (Order Anura)

Frogs and toads belong to a group called Anura. This means they don't have tails as adults. They are known for their strong jumping legs and often have smooth or warty skin.

True Toads (Family Bufonidae)

Bufonidae is a family of toads, often called "true toads." Many of them have dry, warty skin and short legs. Toads in this family can also have special glands behind their eyes called parotoid glands. These glands can release toxins to protect them from predators.

True Toads of Arizona

Species	Common Name	Where They Live	Image
Anaxyrus cognatus	Great Plains toad	Found in wet, shallow areas called playa wetlands.
Anaxyrus debilis	Green toad	Lives in southeastern Arizona.
Anaxyrus microscaphus	Arizona toad	Found near the Virgin River in northwestern Arizona.
Anaxyrus punctatus	Red-spotted toad	Very common in central Arizona.
Anaxyrus woodhousii	Woodhouse's toad	Can be found all over Arizona.

Tree Frogs (Family Hylidae)

Hylidae is a family of frogs often called tree frogs. They are usually found in North and South America. Many tree frogs have special sticky pads on their toes to help them climb trees and other surfaces.

Tree Frogs of Arizona

Species	Common Name	Where They Live	Image
Dryophytes arenicolor	Canyon tree frog	Lives in dry areas and along stream banks, often in canyon pools.
Dryophytes wrightorum	Wright's mountain tree frog	Found in the mountain forests along the Mogollon Rim.

Southern Frogs (Family Leptodactylidae)

This family of frogs includes the interesting barking frogs.

Leptodactylidae in Arizona

Species	Common Name	Where They Live	Image
Craugastor augusti	Eastern barking frog	Found in mountains like the Santa Rita and Pajarito in southeast Arizona.

Narrow-mouthed Frogs (Family Microhylidae)

Microhylidae is a family of frogs often called "narrow-mouthed frogs" because of their unique tear-dropped body shape.

Microhylidae in Arizona

Species	Common Name	Where They Live	Image
Gastrophryne olivacea	Great Plains narrowmouth frog	Lives in south-central Arizona.

True Frogs (Family Ranidae)

Ranidae, also known as true frogs, is the largest family of frogs. These frogs usually have strong back legs for jumping, webbed toes, and their young (tadpoles) live in water.

True Frogs of Arizona

Species	Common Name	Where They Live	Image
Lithobates berlandieri	Rio Grande leopard frog	Found along the Gila River and nearby farmlands from Phoenix to the Colorado River.
Lithobates blairi	Plains leopard frog	A small group lives in southeastern Arizona.
Lithobates catesbeianus	Bullfrog	Very common throughout Arizona.

Spadefoot Toads (Family Scaphiopodidae)

Scaphiopodidae are a family of frogs called spadefoot toads. They often have dull colors and spend most of their lives underground. They have special hard bumps on their feet that help them dig into the soil, especially when waiting for rain.

Spadefoot Toads of Arizona

Species	Common Name	Where They Live	Image
Spea bombifrons	Plains spadefoot toad	Found in eastern Arizona.
Scaphiopus couchii	Couch's spadefoot toad	Lives in central and southeastern parts of the state.

Salamanders (Order Urodela)

Salamanders belong to the group Urodela, which means they keep their tails throughout their lives. Arizona is home to three types of salamanders.

Mole Salamanders (Family Ambystomatidae)

This family includes mole salamanders, which often live underground or in burrows.

Salamanders of Arizona

Species	Common Name	Where They Live	Image
Ambystoma mavortium	Barred tiger salamander	Introduced to southern Arizona.
Ambystoma rosaceum	Tarahumara salamander	Found in Arizona.
Ambystoma tigrinum	Eastern tiger salamander	A special type, the Sonora tiger salamander, lives on the southern border.