List of amphibians of Texas facts for kids

This is a list of Texas amphibians, all frogs, toads, and salamanders native to the state of Texas.

The state of Texas has a large variety of habitats, from swamps, pine forests in the east, rocky hills and limestone karst in the center, desert in the south and west, mountains in the far west, and grassland prairie in the north. This vast contrast in biomes makes Texas home to a wide variety of herpetofauna. Its central position in the United States means that species found primarily in either the western or eastern reaches of the country often have their ranges meeting in the state. Its proximity to Mexico is such that many species found there and into Central American also range as far north as Texas. Also, the karst topography of central Texas is home to several endemic species. The abundance of amphibians makes the state a prime area for research, and most species in the state are well documented.

Texas state law protects several amphibian species; threatened species denoted as (T) and endangered species denoted as (E).

American Toad

Houston Toad

Texas Toad

Grey Tree Frog

Upland Chorus Frog

Cliff Chirping Frog

Great Plains Narrowmouth Toad

Couch's Spadefoot Toad

Bullfrog

Pickerel Frog

Southern Leopard Frog

Spotted Salamander

Tiger Salamander

Southern Dusky Salamander

Barton Springs Salamander

Lesser Siren

Frogs & Toads

True toads

Family Bufonidae (True Toads)

• Genus Bufo (Toads)
  • Bufo americanus (American Toad)
  • Bufo cognatus (Great Plains Toad)
  • Bufo debilis (Green Toad)
  • Bufo houstonensis (Houston Toad) (E)
  • Bufo marinus (Giant or Cane Toad)
  • Bufo punctatus (Red-spotted Toad)
  • Bufo speciosus (Texas Toad)
  • Bufo valliceps (Gulf Coast Toad)
  • Bufo woodhousii (Woodhouse's Toad)

Tree frogs

Family Hylidae (Treefrogs)

• Genus Acris (Cricket Frogs)
  • Acris crepitans (Northern Cricket Frog)
• Genus Hyla (Treefrogs)
  • Hyla arenicolor (Canyon Tree Frog)
  • Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's Gray Tree Frog)
  • Hyla cinerea (Green Tree Frog)
  • Hyla squirella (Squirrel Tree Frog)
  • Hyla versicolor (Gray Tree Frog)
• Genus Pseudacris (Chorus Frogs)
  • Pseudacris clarkii (Spotted Chorus Frog)
  • Pseudacris crucifer (Spring Peeper)
  • Pseudacris streckeri (Strecker's Chorus Frog)
  • Pseudacris feriarum (Upland Chorus Frog)
• Genus Smilisca
  • Smilisca baudinii (Mexican Tree Frog) (T)

Tropical frogs

Family Leptodactylidae (Tropical Frogs)

• Genus Eleutherodactylus (Chirping Frogs)
  • Eleutherodactylus augusti (Eastern Barking Frog)
  • Eleutherodactylus cystignathoides (Rio Grande Chirping Frog)
  • Eleutherodactylus guttilatus (Spotted Chirping Frog)
  • Eleutherodactylus marnockii (Cliff Chirping Frog)
• Genus Leptodactylus (Neotropical Grass Frogs)
  • Leptodactylus fragilis (Mexican White-lipped Frog) (T)

Narrowmouth toads

Family Microhylidae (Narrowmouth Toads)

• Genus Gastrophryne (Narrowmouth Toads)
  • Gastrophryne carolinensis (Eastern Narrowmouth Toad)
  • Gastrophryne olivacea (Great Plains Narrowmouth Toad)
• Genus Hypopachus (Sheep Frogs)
  • Hypopachus variolosus (Sheep Frog) (T)

Spadefoot toads

Family Pelobatidae (Spadefoot Toads)

• Genus Scaphiopus (Spadefoot Toads)
  • Scaphiopus couchii (Couch's Spadefoot Toad)
  • Scaphiopus hurterii (Hurter's Spadefoot Toad)
• Genus Spea (Spadefoot Toads)
  • Spea bombifrons (Plains Spadefoot Toad)
  • Spea multiplicata (New Mexico Spadefoot Toad)

True frogs

Family Ranidae (True Frogs)

• Genus Rana (True Frogs)
  • Rana areolata (Crawfish Frog)
  • Rana berlandieri (Rio Grande Leopard Frog)
  • Rana blairi (Plains Leopard Frog)
  • Rana catesbeiana (Bullfrog)
  • Rana clamitans clamitans (Bronze Frog)
  • Rana grylio (Pig Frog)
  • Rana palustris (Pickerel Frog)
  • Rana sphenocephala (Southern Leopard Frog)

Burrowing toads

Family Rhinophrynidae

• Genus Rhinophrynus
  • Rhinophrynus dorsalis (Mexican Burrowing Toad) (T)

Salamanders

Amphiumas

Family Amphiumidae (Amphiumas)

• Genus Amphiuma
  • Amphiuma tridactylum (Three-toed Amphiuma)

Newts

Family Salamandridae (Newts)

• Genus Notophthalmus
  • Notophthalmus meridionalis (Black-spotted Newt) (T)
  • Notophthalmus viridescens (Eastern Newt)

Salamanders

Family Ambystomatidae (Mole Salamanders)

• Genus Ambystoma
  • Ambystoma maculatum (Spotted Salamander)
  • Ambystoma mavortium (Barred Tiger Salamander)
  • Ambystoma opacum (Marbled Salamander)
  • Ambystoma talpoideum (Mole Salamander)
  • Ambystoma texanum (Smallmouth Salamander)
  • Ambystoma tigrinum (Eastern Tiger Salamander)

Family Plethodontidae (Lungless Salamanders)

• Genus Desmognathus (Dusky Salamanders)
  • Desmognathus auriculatus (Southern Dusky Salamander)
• Genus Eurycea (Brook Salamanders)
  • Eurycea latitans (Cascade Caverns Salamander) (T)
  • Eurycea nana (San Marcos Salamander) (T)
  • Eurycea neotenes (Texas Salamander)
  • Eurycea quadridigitata (Dwarf Salamander)
  • Eurycea rathbuni (Texas Blind Salamander) (E)
  • Eurycea robusta (Blanco Blind Salamander) (T)
  • Eurycea sosorum (Barton Springs Salamander) (E)
  • Eurycea tridentifera (Comal Blind Salamander) (T)
  • Eurycea troglodytes (Valdina Farms Salamander)
• Genus Plethodon
  • Plethodon glutinosus (Slimy Salamander)
  • Plethodon albagula (Western Slimy Salamander)
  • Plethodon serratus (Southern Redback Salamander)

Sirens

Family Sirenidae (Sirens)

• Genus Siren
  • Siren intermedia nettingi (Western Lesser Siren)
  • Siren intermedia texana (Rio Grande Lesser Siren) (T)

Waterdogs

Family Proteidae (Waterdogs)

• Genus Necturus
  • Necturus beyeri (Gulf Coast Waterdog)