This is a list of amphibians of Pennsylvania as listed by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Notes on ranges provided by Pennsylvania Amphibian & Reptile Survey. Pennsylvania has 41 native species of amphibians, with 23 salamanders and newts, and 18 species of frogs and toads. Of these species, 13 are of special concern, 2 are threatened, 6 are endangered, and 1 species is extirpated.
Caudata - newts and salamanders Family: Ambystomatidae - mole salamanders ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionJefferson salamander Ambystoma jeffersonianum(Green, 1827)Species of special concernFemales of this species can form a unisexual form that cannot be identified to species level without DNA testingStatewide, seemingly absent from near Philadelphia and the surrounding countiesBlue-spotted salamander Ambystoma lateraleHallowell, 1856EndangeredFemales of this species can form a unisexual form that cannot be identified to species level without DNA testingAllegheny National Forest and surrounding areas; also a single record from Crawford County and Northampton CountySpotted salamander Ambystoma maculatum(Shaw, 1802)AbundantStatewideMarbled salamander Ambystoma opacum(Gravenhorst, 1807)Species of special concernPrimarily southeastern counties, extends into central counties, scattered records in eastern countiesTiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum(Green, 1825)ExtirpatedFemales of this species can form a unisexual form that cannot be identified to species level without DNA testingFormerly known from Allegheny County and Cumberland County, has not been recorded in over a century
Family: Cryptobranchidae - giant salamanders ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionEastern hellbender Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis(Daudin, 1803)Species of special concernNominate subspecies, state amphibianNorthern and western counties, scattered records through south-central counties
Family: Plethodontidae - lungless salamanders ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionGreen salamander Aneides aeneus(Cope & Packard, 1881)ThreatenedFayette CountyNorthern dusky salamander Desmognathus fuscus(Rafinesque, 1820)AbundantStatewideSeal salamander Desmognathus monticolaDunn, 1916Species of special concernSouthwestern countiesAllegheny Mountain dusky salamander Desmognathus ochrophaeusCope, 1859AbundantStatewide except southeast and some central countiesNorthern two-lined salamander Eurycea bislineata(Green, 1818)AbundantStatewideEastern long-tailed salamander Eurycea longicauda longicauda(Green, 1818)AbundantNominate subspeciesStatewide, but notably absent from Wayne County and Erie CountyNorthern spring salamander Gyrinophilus porphyriticus porphyriticus(Green, 1827)AbundantNominate subspeciesStatewide except southeastFour-toed salamander Hemidactylium scutatum(Tschudi, 1838)AbundantStatewideEastern red-backed salamander Plethodon cinereus(Green, 1818)AbundantStatewideNorthern ravine salamander Plethodon electromorphusHighton, 1999Species of special concernSouthwestern countiesNorthern slimy salamander Plethodon glutinosus(Green, 1818)AbundantStatewideValley and ridge salamander Plethodon hoffmaniHighton, 1972Species of special concernCentral and south-central countiesWehrle's salamander Plethodon wehrleiFowler and Dunn, 1917AbundantNorth-central and west-central countiesEastern mud salamander Pseudotriton montanus montanusBaird, 1850EndangeredNominate subspeciesFranklin County and Cumberland CountyNorthern red salamander Pseudotriton ruber ruber(Latreille, 1801)AbundantNominate subspeciesStatewide
Family: Proteidae - Mudpuppies ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionCommon mudpuppy Necturus maculosus maculosus(Rafinesque, 1818)Species of special concernNominate subspeciesWestern counties
Family: Salamandridae - Newts ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionRed-spotted newt Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens(Rafinesque, 1820)AbundantNominate subspeciesStatewide
Anura - frogs and toads
Family: Bufonidae - true toads ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionEastern American toad Anaxyrus americanus americanus(Holbrook, 1836)AbundantStatewideFowler's toad Anaxyrus fowleri(Hinckley, 1882)Species of special concernPrimarily eastern, with some scattered central and western observations and a notable population on Presque Isle State Park in Erie County
Family: Hylidae - tree frogs ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionNorthern cricket frog Acris crepitansBaird, 1854EndangeredIf subspecies are recognized, it would be the nominate subspecies Acris crepitans crepitansSoutheastern, south-central, and Luzerne CountyCope's gray treefrog Dryophytes chrysoscelis(Cope, 1880)Species of special concernUsually indistinguishable from Dryophytes versicolor without DNA analysis or analysis of mating call Sometimes placed in the genus HylaSoutheastern and southwestern countiesGray treefrog Dryophytes versicolor(Le Conte, 1825)AbundantUsually indistinguishable from Dryophytes chrysoscelis without DNA analysis or analysis of mating call Sometimes placed in the genus HylaStatewide, less common in southwestern countiesMountain chorus frog Pseudacris brachyphona(Cope, 1889)Species of special concernSouthwestern countiesSpring peeper Pseudacris crucifer(Wied-Neuwied, 1838)AbundantStatewideUpland chorus frog Pseudacris feriarumBaird, 1854Species of special concernCentral and south-centralNew Jersey chorus frogPseudacris kalmiHarper, 1855EndangeredBucks County and Montgomery CountyWestern chorus frog Pseudacris triseriataWied-Neuwied, 1838Species of special concernNot officially seen in Pennsylvania since 1958 but present in New York and near the Ohio borderWestern counties
Family: Ranidae - true frogs ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionAmerican bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus(Shaw, 1802)AbundantStatewideGreen frogLithobates clamitans(Rafinesque, 1820)AbundantIf subspecies are recognized, the Pennsylvania subspecies would be Lithobates clamitans melanotaStatewideAtlantic Coast leopard frog Lithobates kauffeldi(Feinberg et al., 2014)EndangeredBucks County, Philadelphia County, and Delaware CountyPickerel frogLithobates palustris(Le Conte, 1825)AbundantStatewideNorthern leopard frogLithobates pipiens(von Schreber, 1782)Species of special concernScattered reports across the state, but more common to the west and especially the northwest, and also around Northumberland CountyCoastal Plains leopard frog Lithobates sphenocephalus utricularius(Harlan, 1825)EndangeredSoutheasternmost countiesWood frog Lithobates sylvaticus(Le Conte, 1825)AbundantStatewide
Family: Scaphiopodidae - American spadefoots ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionEastern spadefoot Scaphiopus holbrookii(Harlan, 1835)ThreatenedCentral, south-central, and southeastern counties
Nonnative species Several species of frog have been introduced to Pennsylvania, mostly around the Philadelphia area. Cuban tree frog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) - recorded between Philadelphia and Greencastle Squirrel tree frog (Dryophytes squirella) - found between Philadelphia and Carlisle Green tree frog (Dryophytes cinerea) - reported between Philadelphia and Lebanon
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