Upland Chorus Frog

How to identify

• Very small, 0.75–1.5 inches
• Three dark stripes or rows of spots running down the back
• Dark stripe through eye
• Gray, tan, or brown background
• White line along upper lip

About this species

A tiny frog of open wetlands, fields, and flooded ditches, the upland chorus frog is one of Virginia's earliest callers, often breeding alongside spring peepers. Their call — like running a finger along the teeth of a comb — is a reliable early spring sound. They are rarely seen due to their small size and secretive habits.

Often confused with

Did you know

"Upland chorus frogs can breed in water as shallow as a few inches — a flooded tire rut or roadside ditch is sufficient habitat for a breeding population."

Sightings & citizen science

Help document Virginia wildlife by logging your sightings on iNaturalist. Every observation builds the conservation data that researchers and rehabbers depend on.