There are 21 types of toad and frog sounds in Kansas. These include six true frog calls, seven tree frog sounds, five true toad noises, one spadefoot toad calls, and two narrow-mouthed toad calls.
Frog calls in Kansas are most commonly heard during the breeding season, when males gather in ponds and wetlands to call to attract mates. They often gather in groups, creating loud choruses.
Some species are very common and familiar (like Spring Peepers), while others may be less well known (like Pickerel Frogs).
A Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) a common source of frog sounds in Kansas. Source: iNaturalist.
For all the species below, I have included only the males’ mating (or 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 as frequently recorded.
If you’re interested in learning more, the Kansas River Keeper website provides links to the Herpetofaunal Atlas, a great resource for more information. I have also created a full guide to frog noises in the United States.
Tree Frog Sounds in Kansas
There are seven species of tree frogs in Kansas. These creatures share several physical characteristics, including small, narrow bodies and enlarged toe pads that help them climb trees or bushes. However, there are several types of tree frogs, including chorus frogs and cricket frogs, and their sounds can vary quite a bit, 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.
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.
Spotted Chorus Frog
Pseudacris clarkii
The advertisement call is a fast, raspy trill, which can sound quite similar to Mountain and Brimley’s Chorus Frogs, as well as 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.
Boreal Chorus Frog
Pseudacris maculata
The advertisement call is a metallic-sounding trill that lasts a little more than a second and rises in pitch at the end. Calls are typically a couple seconds apart. This frog sounds similar to Midland and Upland Chorus Frogs.
Strecker’s Chrorus Frog
Pseudacris streckeri
The advertisement call is a metallic-sounding “peep”, very similar to the Ornate Chorus Frog. The call is slightly lower in pitch, but can be difficult to differentiate in areas where the species overlap.
True Frog Sounds and Calls in Kansas
Six amphibians in Kansas are considered “true frogs” or “water frogs” (Ranidae family). These frogs are the usually medium to large in size, and are the most commonly recognized and seen. If you’ve seen a cartoon image of a frog, it’s most likely in this family.
In Kansas, true frog noises come from the Crawfish Frog, Plains Leopard Frog, American Bullfrog, Green Frog, Pickerel Frog, and Southern Leopard Frog.
These frogs feature a range of physical and vocal differences. Read on to learn about the differences among these true frog sounds and calls.
Crawfish Frog
Lithobates areolatus
The mating call of the Crawfish Frog is a one-second-long, low-pitched, nasal snore.
Plains Leopard Frog
Lithobates blairi
The mating call of the Plains Leopard Frog is made up of between two and four chucking notes, repeated quickly several times. Each set of chucks rises slightly in pitch, and may end with a grunt.
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.
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.
Toad Calls in Kansas
There are five true toads(members of the Bufonidae family) in Kansas: the American Toad, Great Plains Toad, Green Toad, Red-spotted Toad, and Woodhouse’s Toad. Many of these creatures make some sort of trill, but these vary quite a bit in how musical and (un)pleasant they sound.
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.
Great Plains Toad
Anaxyrus cognatus
The Great Plains Toad makes a loud, long, pulsing, high-pitched trill, has a jack-hammer quality to it. Lasts from five seconds up to a minute.
Green Toad
Anaxyrus debilis
The mating call is a nasal, buzzing trill that lasts between three and ten seconds. Some liken it to an electric buzzer. The Toad usually pauses several seconds between calls.
Red-spotted Toad
Anaxyrus punctatus
The Red-spotted Toad makes a high-pitched, melodic trill that lasts between three and ten seconds. Similar to the call of the Arizona Toad, but with a higher pitch. Sounds a bit like a cricket.
Woodhouse’s Toad
Anaxyrus woodhousii
The mating call is a nasal buzz-like noise that typically lasts between two and four seconds. Similar sound to Fowler’s Toad, but usually lower in pitch. Also sounds a bit like a person screaming or baby crying.
Other Types of Frog Sounds in Kansas
There are two additional families of frog species represented in Kansas. These include the spadefoot (Scaphiopodidae) and narrow-mouthed frog (Microhylidae). While these both have some similarities to true toads, their calls and appearance are different enough that I have broken them out into their own section.
Plains Spadefoot
Spea bombifrons
The Plains Spadefoot male makes mating call that sounds like a snore-like growl. Some far southern populations have a shorter call that can sound like the bark of a small dog!
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.
Great Plains Narrow-mouthed Toad
Gastrophryne olivacea
The Great Plains Narrow-mouthed Toad (also called Western Narrow-mouthed Toad) emits a high-pitched nasal buzzing sound, a bit similar to a bee. It usually lasts between one and four seconds.
