The largest family of frogs in Georgia is Hylidae or the tree frogs, chorus frogs, and cricket frogs. Red-spotted toad ( Anaxyrus punctatus, formerly Bufo punctatus), captured by Lauren Schramm

The Fowler’s Toad sounds like a harsh thrill, kind of like a nasally WAAAHHHH. The Ameican toad sounds like a long musically thrill that lasts between 6 and 30 seconds. In the Metro Atlanta area, it’s common to hear both American and Fowler’s toads calling. In Georgia we have 4 species American Toad (A naxyrus americanus), Fowler’s Toad ( Anasyrus fowleri), the Oak Toad ( Anaxyrus quercicus), and the Southern Toad ( Anaxyrus terrestris). Worldwide there are 604 species in this family. The eggs are typically laid in long strands. That’s why it’s common to see toads hopping around during the day. Toads can actually aim these glands at predators. Toads are a specialized group of frogs who typically have warty dry skin, are short and stubby, and large glands on the sides of their heads that kind of look like shoulder pads and are called parotoid glands. All toads are frogs but not all frogs are toads. The most distinct of these families is Bufonidae or the true toads. Georgia currently has 30 native frog species and two introduced frog species that fall into six different families.