Kansas has a surprising number of amphibians. Whether you search on the plains or in the mouths of southeastern caves, the amphibian diversity of Kansas may surprise you.
All About Amphibians
Frogs and Toads
If you spot a critter with no tail and hind legs adapted for jumping, you've got a frog or toads. Toads typically have warty skin and can travel much further from water than frogs. All toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads.
Toads lay their eggs in long chains, and frogs lay their eggs in a cluster.
Good news! This is a myth. (But please don't kiss toads; they're poisonous.)
Kissing a frog will not turn it into a prince, though it might appreciate it.
The problem is that some frogs, like treefrogs, produce toxins that can burn your eyes and tongue. So don't rub your eyes, don't lick your fingers, and kiss at your own risk.
PS: Toads, which are covered in warty little bumps, also produce poisons from glands behind their eyes which can be unpleasant to get in your eyes and mouth.
Narrow-mouthed Toad. This toad eats parasitic mites to help the tarantula, and in turn, the tarantula offers the toad protection. It's not uncommon to find a narrow-mouthed toad hanging out under a rock with a tarantula.
The American Bullfrog! They have tasty legs, but you'll need a fishing license to catch and eat one.
Salamanders
These long-tailed amphibians look like a lizard without scales. All newts are salamanders, but not all salamanders are newts. Many of these animals are threatened or endangered and are found in only a few areas in Kansas.
Larval salamanders look a lot like tadpoles, but they have soft external gills.
Salamanders can become reproductively mature without transforming into their adult state. These permanently juvenile salamanders are called "neotenic." The axolotl is one example of a neotenic salamander--if it was prompted to go through metamorphosis, it would look a lot like a Tiger Salamander. Populations of entirely neotenic native salamanders have been discovered in Kansas.
Even our common salamanders are difficult to spot in the wild because of their reclusive, nocturnal, and/or burrowing habits. If you want to see a wild salamander, your best bet is driving at night after a rain in the summer. If you're lucky, you'll spot a salamander cruising across the road.
A Pocket Guide to Kansas Amphibians, Turtles and Lizards
Kansas Amphibians
Frogs & Toads: Anura
Family Bufonidae
American Toad
Great Plains Toad
Chihuahuan Green Toad
Fowler's Toad
Red-spotted Toad
Woodhouse's ToadFamily Hylidae
Blanchard's Cricket Frog
Gray Treefrog complex
Spotted Chorus Frog
Spring Peeper
Boreal Chorus Frog
Strecker's Chorus FrogFamily Microhylidae
Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad
Great Plains Narrow-mouthed ToadFamily Ranidae
Crawfish Frog
Plains Leopard Frog
American Bullfrog
Green Frog
Pickerel Frog
Southern Leopard FrogFamily Scaphiopodidae
Plains Spadefoot
Salamanders: Caudata
Family Ambystomatidae
Western (Barred) Tiger Salamander
Smallmouth Salamander
Eastern Tiger SalamanderFamily Cryptobranchidae
HellbenderFamily Plethodontidae
Long-tailed Salamander
Cave Salamander
Western Grotto SalamanderFamily Proteidae
MudpuppyFamily Salamandridae
Eastern Newt