List of amphibians of Texas facts for kids

Topographic map of Texas

Seventy-two amphibian species are found in the American state of Texas, including forty-four species of frog and twenty-eight species of salamander. Four species are categorized as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature: the Barton Springs salamander, the Texas blind salamander, the black-spotted newt, and the Houston toad. Furthermore, Texas law protects several native amphibians, designating eleven species as threatened within the state and four others as endangered.

The varied geography of Texas, the second-largest state, hosts a variety of habitats for amphibians, including swamps and the Piney Woods in the east, rocky hills and limestone karst in the central Hill Country of the Edwards Plateau, desert in the south and west, mountains in the far west (the Trans-Pecos), and grassland prairie in the north, also known as the Panhandle. This vast contrast in biomes makes Texas home to a wide variety of herpetofauna. The state's many rivers, including the Rio Grande, the Colorado River, and the Trinity River, also provide diverse aquatic habitats. Its central position in the United States means that species found primarily in either the western or eastern reaches of the country often have their ranges meeting in the state. Additionally, its proximity to Mexico is such that many species found there and into Central America also range as far north as Texas. Moreover, the karst topography of central Texas has created spring and cave ecosystems inhabited by several endemic species, such as the cave-dwelling Texas blind salamander.

List of species
- Order Anura
- Order Urodela
See also

List of species

Protected status under Texas law
	Threatened
	Endangered

Order Anura

Family Bufonidae

Bufonidae is a family of toads, often called the "true toads". Although a widely varied family, Bufonidae includes the stereotypical toad: dry warty skin and shortened forelimbs and hindlimbs. Bufonids also carry potent skin toxins, sometimes concentrated in the parotoid gland.

**Bufonidae**
Species	Common name	Distribution
Anaxyrus americanus	American toad	Occurs in northeast Texas
Anaxyrus cognatus	Great Plains toad	Found in playa wetlands in the Great Plains area of the state
Anaxyrus debilis	Green toad	Found in eastern Texas
Anaxyrus houstonensis	Houston toad	Found in the southeast counties of Austin, Bastrop, Burleson, Colorado, Lee, Leon, Lavaca, Milam, and Robertson
Anaxyrus punctatus	Red-spotted toad	Found in central and western Texas
Anaxyrus speciosus	Texas toad	Common throughout western two-thirds of Texas, population declining in the Rio Grande Valley
Anaxyrus woodhousii	Woodhouse's toad	Found in central, west and north Texas
Incilius nebulifer	Coastal plains toad	Found along coastal plains, formerly considered the same species as Incilius valliceps
Rhinella marina	Cane toad	Native to extreme southern Texas, invasive species in other parts of the United States

Family Hylidae

Hylidae is a family of frogs which are commonly found in the New World. They may be better known as tree frogs.

**Hylidae**
Species	Common name	Distribution
Acris blanchardi	Blanchard's cricket frog	Found throughout Texas, except far West Texas and the Panhandle
Acris crepitans	Northern cricket frog	Found as far west as western Texas
Dryophytes arenicolor	Canyon tree frog	Isolated populations in arid environments and streambanks in Texas
Dryophytes chrysoscelis	Cope's gray tree frog	Documented in east-central Texas
Dryophytes cinereus	Green tree frog	Occurs throughout eastern Texas and as far south as the Rio Grande Valley
Hyla squirella	Squirrel tree frog	Found in eastern Texas
Dryophytes versicolor	Gray tree frog	Found in the eastern-central portion of the state, excluding the most eastern fifth
Pseudacris clarkii	Spotted chorus frog	Found in central Texas
Pseudacris crucifer	Spring peeper	Found in eastern Texas
Pseudacris fouquettei	Cajun chorus frog	Found throughout eastern Texas
Pseudacris streckeri	Strecker's chorus frog	Found throughout eastern Texas
Smilisca baudinii	Mexican tree frog	Southern extreme of Texas

Family Leptodactylidae

Leptodactylidae is a family of frogs found only in the New World. Texas encompasses part of their northern-most distribution. Medium to large frogs, they have robust hindlimbs that make them strong jumpers.

**Leptodactylidae**
Species	Common name	Distribution
Craugastor augusti	Eastern barking frog	Found in western and central Texas and along the Balcones Fault; isolated populations exist in the Trans-Pecos region
Eleutherodactylus cystignathoides	Rio Grande chirping frog	Native to extreme southern Texas along the lower Rio Grande Valley in Cameron and Hildago counties
Eleutherodactylus guttilatus	Spotted chirping frog	Found in the Big Bend region
Eleutherodactylus marnockii	Cliff chirping frog	Common in rocky areas of central Texas
Eleutherodactylus planirostris	Greenhouse frog	Introduced species found on Galveston Island
Leptodactylus fragilis	Mexican white-lipped frog	Documented in the extreme southern portion of the lower Rio Grande Valley

Family Microhylidae

Microhylidae is a family of frogs. They can often be identified by their tear-dropped shape, hence the common name "narrow-mouthed frogs".

**Microhylidae**
Species	Common name	Distribution
Gastrophryne carolinensis	Eastern narrowmouth frog	As far west as central Texas
Gastrophryne olivacea	Great Plains narrowmouth frog	Found throughout Texas except for northern Panhandle and western extremes
Hypopachus variolosus	Mexican narrow-mouthed frog	Found in 15 counties in southern Texas

Family Ranidae

Ranidae, true frogs, are the largest family of frogs. Members of this family, called Ranids, typically have robust hindlimbs, toe webbing, and an aquatic tadpole stage.

**Ranidae**
Species	Common name	Distribution
Lithobates areolatus	Crawfish frog	Once found throughout eastern Texas, now limited to two populations near coast
Lithobates berlandieri	Rio Grande leopard frog	Occur in central and western areas of the state
Lithobates blairi	Plains leopard frog	Distribution includes northern Texas
Lithobates catesbeianus	Bullfrog	Occurs throughout most of Texas
Lithobates clamitans	Green frog	Throughout eastern Texas
Lithobates grylio	Pig frog	Galveston Bay and Gulf Coastal Plain to the east
Lithobates palustris	Pickerel frog	Found throughout eastern Texas
Lithobates sphenocephala	Southern leopard frog	Common in the eastern third of Texas

Family Rhinophrynidae

Rhinophrynidae are a family of frogs containing only one extant genus, the monotypic Rhinophrynus. Rhinophrynus is a burrowing ant and termite eater, hence the common name "burrowing frog".

**Rhinophrynidae**
Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Rhinophrynus dorsalis	Mexican burrowing toad	Documented in the counties of Starr and Zapata in extreme southwestern Texas

Family Scaphiopodidae

Scaphiopodidae are a family of frogs. Commonly called spadefoot frogs, they are often inconspicuously coloured. Members of this family are predominantly fossorial, living underground until rain arrives. To aid in digging, they have keratinized protrusions on their feet.

**Scaphiopodidae**
Species	Common name	Distribution
Scaphiopus couchii	Couch's spadefoot toad	Central Texas
Scaphiopus hurterii	Hurter's spadefoot toad	Inhabits freshwater areas of Texan forest, shrubland, grassland, and wetlands
Spea bombifrons	Plains spadefoot toad	Found in the arid plains of northwest Texas; isolated populations also exist in south Texas
Spea multiplicata	New Mexico spadefoot toad	Found in central Texas

Order Urodela

Family Amphiumidae

Amphiumidae are a family of salamanders. Members of the family are known as amphiumas. These large salamanders are often mistaken for eels, hence the colloquial name "conger eels". Completely aquatic, these long salamanders can survive droughts by forming a mucous cocoon underground. They can live without food for up to three years and may live for almost 30 years.

**Amphiumidae**
Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Amphiuma tridactylum	Three-toed amphiuma	Native to the eastern area of the state

Family Salamandridae

Salamandridae are a family of salamanders. Most members, called salamandrids, produce a potent toxin in their skin. Salamandrids typically have patterns of bright and contrasting colors, usually to warn potential predators of their toxicity. They have four well-developed limbs.

**Salamandridae**
Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Notophthalmus meridionalis	Black-spotted newt	Found in southern Texas
Notophthalmus viridescens	Eastern newt	Native to eastern Texas

Family Ambystomatidae

Ambystomatidae is a family of mostly terrestrial salamanders. Commonly called "mole salamanders", most members of this family live in rodent burrows, only emerging on rainy nights to mate and feed. These relatively large salamanders also typically have mass migrations to mating ponds.

**Ambystomatidae**
Species	Common name	Distribution
Ambystoma maculatum	Spotted salamander	Found near stagnant water in hardwood and mixed forests
Ambystoma mavortium	Barred tiger salamander	Distributed throughout Texas except eastern quarter
Ambystoma opacum	Marbled salamander	Found throughout East Texas, from Red River south to the Gulf of Mexico
Ambystoma talpoideum	Mole salamander	Found in the Gulf Coastal Plain of east Texas
Ambystoma texanum	Smallmouth salamander	Eastern Texas
Ambystoma tigrinum	Eastern tiger salamander	Distributed throughout Texas except eastern quarter

Family Plethodontidae

Plethodontidae are a family of salamanders found mostly in the Western Hemisphere; however, some species are found in Southern Europe and South Korea. They are the largest group of salamanders. Several species of salamanders are endemic to specific cave systems in Texas. Due to their small habitat and specified role, many are threatened or endangered. In 2019, researchers associated with the University of Texas Austin and Texas Parks and Wildlife announced the discovery of an additional three species of spring and cave dwelling salamanders in the Eurycea genus that are yet to be named.

**Plethodontidae**
Species	Common name	Distribution
Desmognathus auriculatus	Southern dusky salamander	As far east as the Trinity River Basin
Eurycea latitans	Cascade Caverns salamander	Endemic to the Cascade Caverns of central Texas and other cave systems in close proximity
Eurycea nana	San Marcos salamander	Found only in the San Marcos River in Hays County
Eurycea naufragia	Georgetown salamander	Endemic to area northeast of the Colorado River in the Edwards Plateau region of central Texas
Eurycea neotenes	Texas salamander	Spring and cave systems in the Edwards Plateau region of central Texas
Eurycea quadridigitata	Dwarf salamander	Found in eastern Texas
Eurycea rathbuni	Texas blind salamander	Only lives in water-filled caves in the Edwards Plateau in Hays County
Eurycea robusta	Blanco blind salamander	Unknown, single specimen found in subterranean system under Blanco River in Hays County
Eurycea chisholmensis	Salado Springs salamander	Endemic to area northeast of the Colorado River in the Edwards Plateau region of central Texas
Eurycea sosorum	Barton Springs salamander	Found only at outlets of Barton Springs in Zilker Park, Austin
Eurycea tonkawae	Jollyville Plateau salamander	Endemic to the Buttercup Cave system near Austin
Eurycea tridentifera	Comal blind salamander	Endemic to Honey Creek Cave in Comal County and other caves in Cibolo Sinkhole Plain
Eurycea troglodytes	Valdina Farms salamander	Endemic to springs and cave systems in the counties of Bandera, Edwards, western Kerr, Medina, Real, and Uvalde
Eurycea waterlooensis	Austin blind salamander	Known only from outflows of Barton Springs in Austin
Eurycea pterophila	Fern bank salamander	This species inhabits springs within the watershed of the Blanco River
Plethodon albagula	Western slimy salamander	Disjunct, and genetically divergent, populations in central, southeastern, and northeastern Texas
Plethodon serratus	Southern red-backed salamander	Although there are several populations throughout the southeast US, this species is only known in Texas from a single specimen collect in Nacogdoches County in 1940

Family Sirenidae

Sirenidae are a family of aquatic salamanders only found in northern Mexico and the Southeastern United States. Family members, called sirens, have very small forelimbs and lack hind limbs altogether. Sirens are generally regarded as the most primitive extant salamanders.

**Sirenidae**
Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Siren intermedia nettingi	Western lesser siren	Found in east and southeast Texas, as well as in the Rio Grande Valley
Siren intermedia texana	Rio Grande lesser siren	Occurs in south Texas

Family Proteidae

Proteidae are a family of aquatic salamanders only found in North America and Europe. Some members are called mudpuppies, waterdogs, or olms. They are paedomorphic and exhibit laterally compressed tail fins and the red, filamentous external gills. Only one species of Proteidae is found in Texas.

**Proteidae**
Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Necturus beyeri	Gulf Coast waterdog	Found in the Sabine River System