True frogs (also known as water frogs) make a wide variety of sounds, from snores to croaks to grunts. Some of these frogs sound like chattering ducks, others like hammers at a construction site.
The true frog (Ranidae) family includes 650 species globally, with 28 in North America. You’ll notice that their typical vocalizations, while varied are distinct from most tree frog calls or toad sounds. You can learn more about all these using our complete guide to frog and toad sounds.
Some sounds, like the call of the bullfrog, are common and familiar. Others, like the sounds of wood frogs, calls of Northern Leopard Frogs or Southern Leopard frogs, or the strange noises of the Pickerel Frog, are somewhat less well known.
Mink Frog in the water
This group consists of the “classic” frogs, the type of creature you imagine when you think of what a frog might look like. They are usually medium to large in size, with webbed feet and long legs. They typically live in or very near water.
This guide focuses on the lower 48 U.S. States, and includes sound examples for each species. Enjoy!
True Frog Sounds in the Eastern United States
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pig Frog
Lithobates grylio
The mating call is a low-pitched grunt that sounds a bit like a pig. It is repeated a few times, and sometimes as many as seven or eight times in warmer weather.
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.
Mink Frog
Lithobates septentrionalis
The advertisement call of the Mink Frog is two to four abrupt notes in a row, like someone tapping on wood.
Crawfish Frog
Lithobates areolatus
The mating call of the Crawfish Frog is a one-second-long, low-pitched, nasal snore.
Rio Grande Leopard Frog
Lithobates berlandieri
The male’s mating call is a loud, rattling snore that lasts about half a second. It is sometimes made in groups of two or three, often followed by soft gurgles. Some calls can sound similar to those of the Southern Leopard Frog.
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.
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.
River Frog
Lithobates heckscheri
The River Frog makes a loud, belching snore that lasts about two seconds, and pauses of several seconds between calls.
Florida Bog Frog
Lithobates okaloosae
The mating call is typically a set of between five and fifteen rattling notes that become quieter at the end. These are made at a rate of about three to five notes per second.
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.
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.
True Frog Species in the Western United States
Some species, like the wood frog and bullfrog for example, can be found in both eastern and western U.S. states, but I have only listed them once, above. Species below are found exclusively in the Western U.S.
California Red-legged Frog
Rana draytonii
This species makes a soft mating call of between four and seven notes, often ending with a groan. They sometimes call from underwater and are less often heard because of this and their quieter noises.
Northern Red-legged Frog
Rana aurora
The mating call is a chuckle between four and seven notes in length, with an emphasis on the last note. Calls are often made underwater, so they are not as frequently heard as some other species.
Oregon and Columbia Spotted Frogs
Rana pretiosa and Rana luteiventris
The call (and appearance) of these two species is generally indistinguishable in the field. It consists of a set of clicks or chucks, similar to someone tapping on wood, usually given at a steady rate and lasting at least ten seconds.
Cascades Frog
Rana cascadae
The Cascades Frog emits a fast chuckle that sometimes ends with a grunt. Calls are usually soft and difficult to hear unless very nearby.
Foothill Yellow-legged Frog
Rana boylii
This frog makes several calls, including a half-second to second-long squawk and a rapid chuckle. They usually call underwater, so may not be easily heard.
The rare Relict Leopard Frog call consists of a set of five to ten rapid chuckles. The call is almost impossible to tell apart from the Lowland Leopard Frog.
The male’s mating call is a loud, rattling snore that lasts about half a second. It is sometimes made in groups of two or three, often followed by soft gurgles. Some calls can sound similar to those of the Southern Leopard Frog.
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.
