There are 32 types of toad and frog sounds in North Carolina. This includes nine true frog sounds, seventeen tree frog vocalizations, four true toad calls, one spadefoot call, and one narrow-mouthed frog. These species create a rich symphony on many spring and summer nights.
Some frog calls in North Carolina are well known: gray tree frog callsand American Toad calls are familiar to many beginners, for example. Others, like Wood Frog calls and Fowler’s Toad calls may be new for many people.
An American Bullfrog, one source of frog sounds in North Carolina.
For all these frogs, I have included only the males’ mating (also known as advertisement) calls, as these are by far the most often heard. While frogs make other noises, including alarm, release, and territorial calls, these are often short, tough to identify to species, and not often recorded.
If you’re interested in learning more, check out my full guide tofrog and toad calls in the United States.
North Carolina Tree Frog Sounds
There are 17 species of tree frogs in North Carolina. These are all members of the Hylidae family and share several physical characteristics, including small, narrow bodies and enlarged toe pads to help climb trees or bushes.
However, North Carolina tree frog sounds are clearly different across species, as you’ll see below. Note that I have not included the Collinses’ Mountain Chorus Frog here, as it has only recently been differentiated as its own species from the Mountain Chorus Frog, and finding sound for this new species is difficult.
Northern Cricket Frog
Acris crepitans
The advertisement call is a series of clicks than have been described as “two stones being tapped together”. The clicks start slow, then happen two or three at a time, building into a frenzy before slowing again.
Southern Cricket Frog
Acris gryllus
The mating call is a series of clicks, ranging from one to a dozen or more at a time, at a fairly steady pace. The frog usually starts with one click, then adds one or two to each subsequent series, almost like they are counting.
Pine Barrens Treefrog
Hyla andersonii
The male’s call sounds like a nasal “honk” or “quonk,” and is quickly repeated 10 to 20 times at infrequent intervals. Call is faster than the Green Treefrog’s.
Cope’s Gray Treefrog
Hyla chrysoscelis
The mating call is a trill that sounds harsher than the call of the Gray Treefrog. The pulse rate is faster compared to the Gray Treefrog when both are calling in the same area at the same time.
American Green Treefrog
Hyla cinerea
The mating call is a short, nasal “honk!” made once or twice per second. This recording of Green Treefrog sounds from the National Park Service shows a faster call compared to the video.
Pine Woods Treefrog
Hyla femoralis
This mating call is sporadic and chattering, and leads to the frog’s nickname: the “morse code frog”.
Barking Treefrog
Hyla gratiosa
The call of the Barking Treefrog actually does resemble the sound of a barking dog! Mating calls are short “aarf” type sounds made every second or so.
Squirrel Treefrog
Hyla squirrella
Advertisement call is a buzzing “quack” repeated about twice a second. It gets its name from its rain call, which made outside of breeding areas and is raspier — recalling the noises of a gray squirrel.
Eastern Gray Treefrog
Hyla versicolor
The advertisement call of the gray treefrog is a musical trill that lasts about half a second and is repeated every few seconds. While it is similar to the Cope’s Gray Treefrog call, the pulse rate (speed of the call notes) is significantly slower if both frogs are calling in the same temperature.
Mountain Chorus Frog
Pseudacris brachyphona
The Mountain Chorus Frog makes a raspy trill that rises at the end and repeats about twice each second. It sounds very similar to the Brimley’s Chorus Frog, but their ranges do not overlap.
Brimley’s Chorus Frog
Pseudacris brimleyi
The male’s call is a raspy rill that repeats one or two times each second. It sounds similar to the Squirrel Treefrog.
Spring Peeper
Pseudacris crucifer
One of the most well known sounds in the Eastern United States, the spring peeper’s mating call is a loud, ongoing “peep” that repeats once a second or slightly faster.
Upland Chorus Frog
Pseudacris feriarum
The frog makes a clicking trill that rises at the end. This noise can be tough to tell apart from Boreal, New Jersey, and Midland Chorus Frogs, which sound very similar.
Southern Chorus Frog
Pseudacris nigrita
The mating call is a slow, clicking trill that rises at the end and lasts about a second. Some say it sounds like a ratchet-type wrench. It sounds very similar to the Cajun Chorus Frog.
Little Grass Frog
Pseudacris ocularis
The advertisement call is an high-pitched, bug-like chirp that repeats about once per second. As males chorus during mating season, they can sound like crickets chirping. Little Grass Frogs have the highest pitched calls of any frog in the United States.
Ornate Chorus Frog
Pseudacris ornata
The mating call is a shrill, metallic-sounding “peep”. It sounds a little like a spring peeper, but is much faster (two or three notes per second).
North Carolina True Frog Sounds and Calls
Nine amphibians in North Carolina are considered “true frogs”, meaning they are members of the Ranidae family. These are the typically medium to large-sized “classic” frogs, the ones that most fit the image that pops up in your mind when someone says “frog”.
In North Carolina, true frog sounds come from the Carolina Gopher Frog, Bullfrog, Green Frog, River Frog, Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog, Pickerel Frog, Southern Leopard Frog, Wood Frog, and Carpenter Frog.
These frogs feature a range of physical and vocal differences. Read on to learn about the differences among North Carolina’s true frog sounds and calls.
Gopher Frog
Lithobates capito
The advertisement call is a low-pitched snore about three seconds in length. In groups these frogs sometimes make a continuous rumbling sound.
Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
The bullfrog mating call is a loud, low-pitched “ruuum, ruuum, ruuuum.” They also have a high-pitched alarm call when they suddenly jump into the water if startled.
Green Frog
Lithobates clamitans
The Green Frog makes a sudden, loud “gunk!”. Many liken it to someone plucking a loose banjo string. They usually call in a few times in a row, with volume and pitch decreasing each time.
River Frog
Lithobates heckscheri
The River Frog makes a loud, belching snore that lasts about two seconds, and pauses of several seconds between calls.
Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog Sounds
Lithobates kauffeldi
The Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog, only formally classified in 2014, makes a duck-like quack or chuck, similar to a wood frog.
Pickerel Frog
Lithobates palustris
Pickerel Frogs make a soft snore that lasts about two seconds, sometimes with a few garbled notes or “gunk!” that sounds similar to the Green Frog. The snore of the Pickerel Frog is much shorter than that of the Northern Leopard Frog.
Southern Leopard Frog
Lithobates sphenocephalus
The Southern Leopard Frog quickly repeats a set of five to ten “chucking” notes, often followed by grunts. These chucks get faster in warmer temperatures.
Wood Frog
Lithobates sylvaticus
The Wood Frog’s call is a series of explosive clucks; some have compared this to the sound of hoarse duck quacks.
Carpenter Frog
Lithobates virgatipes
The mating call is a set of sharp, paired notes, repeated frequently. It sounds like people hammering nails at a construction site.
Toad Calls in North Carolina
There are four true toads (members of the Bufonidae family) in North Carolina, one spadefoot toad (Scaphiopodidae family), and the Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad (Microhylidae family; technically a narrow-mouthed frog but similar enough to the toads that we’ll include it here).
Most of these creatures make trills that vary in their length and musicality. You’ll likely find some of these sounds pleasing and relaxing, while others may feel harsh and unpleasant. Check out North Carolina’s toad calls below.
American Toad Calls
Anaxyrus americanus
The mating call is a musical trill that typically lasts between five and thirty seconds. During the breeding season, males’ make sounds that often alternate or overlap, and have slightly different pitches.
Fowler’s Toad Sounds
Anaxyrus fowleri
Fowler’s Toads make a buzzy trill that lasts between one and five seconds. Some people liken the sound to that of a crying baby or a woman screaming. Fowler’s Toads sometimes hybridize with American Toads, and calls end up sounding like a mix of the two species.
Oak Toad
Anaxyrus quercicus
The Oak Toad makes a loud, high-pitched, repeating “peep!” Some indicate that it sounds like a baby chicken or a squeaky wheel.
Southern Toad
Anaxyrus terrestris
Advertisement call is a high-pitched, somewhat musical trill that lasts between four and eight seconds. Somewhat similar to American Toad, but with a higher pitch and faster pulse rate.
Eastern Spadefoot Calls
Scaphiopus holbrookii
The mating call of the Eastern Spadefoot is an explosive noise that sounds a bit like a person gagging. It’s not the most pleasant sound. The noise is repeated every five to ten seconds.
Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad
Gastrophryne carolinensis
The Eastern Narrowmouth Toads makes a loud, sometimes startling high-pitched “weeeeee!” It can sound similar to the bleat of a baby animal.
References and Further Reading
This sound guide draws from a number of sources, including several of the following:
Some of the best quality information online about individual frogs can be found at AmphibiaWeb and Animal Diversity Web. These provide some details on calls, among a host of other valuable content.
A whole variety of YouTube channels provide great examples of sounds and calls, several of which are included here. These creators range from passionate individuals to state agencies. If you liked a video embedded here, check out more from these channels.
Several books provide detailed and well-researched accounts of these frogs, including The Frogs and Toads of North America (2009) by Elliott, Gerhardt, and Davidson and Frogs and Toads of the United States and Canada (2013), by C. Kenneth Dodd.
