There are 15 types of toad and frog sounds in West Virginia. This includes five true frog sounds, seven tree frog vocalizations, two true toad trills, and one spadefoot call. These species create a rich symphony on many spring and summer nights.
A Pickerel Frog, just one of many sources of frog calls in West Virginia.
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 sounds in the United States.
West Virginia Tree Frog Sounds
There are seven species of tree frogs in West Virginia: Blanchard’s Cricket Frog, Northern Cricket Frog, Cope’s Gray Treefrog, Eastern Gray Treefrog, Mountain Chorus Frog, Spring Peeper, and Upland Chorus Frog.
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, West Virginia tree frog sounds are clearly different across species, as you’ll see below.
Blanchard’s Cricket Frog
Acris blanchardi
Blanchard’s Cricket Frog makes a set of repeated and rapid clicks, which resemble the sound of two small rocks being tapped together.
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.
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.
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.
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.
West Virginia True Frog Sounds and Calls
Five amphibians in West Virginia 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 West Virginia, true frog sounds come from the Bullfrog, Green Frog, Pickerel Frog, Northern Leopard Frog, and Wood Frog.
These frogs feature a range of physical and vocal differences. Read on to learn about the differences among West Virginia’s true frog sounds and calls.
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.
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.
Northern Leopard Frog
Lithobates pipiens
The Northern Leopard Frog’s mating call is a long snore that lasts at least three seconds, and is often followed with grunts or chuckles. The call usually increases in volume until trailing off at the end.
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.
Toad Calls in West Virginia
There are two true toads (members of the Bufonidae family) and one spadefoot toad (in the Scaphiopodidae family) in West Virginia.
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 West Virginia’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.
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.
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.
