Order Salientia - frogs and toads
Etymology. Salientia, the scientific order of salamanders, is derived from salio, -ire, -vi, -tus, the Latin verb meaning jump. Species of Order Salientia are jumpers as adults unlike the salamanders of Order Caudata, who walk or crawl.

Mount Desert Island is home to 8 species in 4 genera in 3 families. Click on a link below or scroll down for more information.
   Bufonidae (1 genus, 1 species)
      Bufo americanus (American toad)
   Hylidae (2 genera, 2 species)
      Hyla versicolor (gray treefrog)
      Pseudacris crucifer (spring peeper)
   Ranidae (1 genus, 5 species)
      Rana catesbeiana (bullfrog)
      Rana clamitans (green frog)
      Rana palustris (pickerel frog)
      Rana pipiens (northern leopard frog)
      Rana sylvatica (wood frog)

Bufonidae - A distinguishing feature of toads is a pair of dorsal parotid glands.

Bufo americanus (American toad):
   Recommended reading: pages 73–78 in Maine Amphibians and Reptiles, edited by Malcolm L. Hunter Jr., Aram J. K. Calhoun, and Mark McCollough. Orono, ME: The University of Maine Press, 1999 (ISBN 0-89101-096-3)

Hylidae - Species in this family have round toe pads.

Hyla versicolor (gray treefrog):
   Recommended reading: pages 79–84 in Maine Amphibians and Reptiles, edited by Malcolm L. Hunter Jr., Aram J. K. Calhoun, and Mark McCollough. Orono, ME: The University of Maine Press, 1999 (ISBN 0-89101-096-3)

Pseudacris crucifer (spring peeper): The vocalizing of the spring peepers is a sure sign of spring and is usually heard within days after the first wood frogs.
   Recommended reading: pages 85–89 in Maine Amphibians and Reptiles, edited by Malcolm L. Hunter Jr., Aram J. K. Calhoun, and Mark McCollough. Orono, ME: The University of Maine Press, 1999 (ISBN 0-89101-096-3)
Below are the dates of first reports of the peeping of spring peepers.
   2008
      April 12 - Southwest Harbor, along Route 102 south of "long hill" [TFV]
      April 14 - Tremont (Bass Harbor), wetland along east side of Route 102A, southeast of intersection of Route 102A and Gray Barn Road [TFV]
   2009
      April 4 - Tremont (Bass Harbor), area behind rock dump on Lighthouse Road [RG, STG]
      April 8 - Tremont, east of Kelleytown Road [TFV]
   2010
      April 1 - Southwest Harbor, along Route 102 south of "long hill" [TFV]
      April 1 - Tremont (Bass Harbor), wetland along east side of Route 102A, southeast of intersection of Route 102A and Gray Barn Road [TFV]
      April 1 - Tremont (Bass Harbor), area behind rock dump on Lighthouse Road [TFV]
      April 1 - Tremont–Southwest Harbor, Bass Harbor marsh, near bridge on Route 102 [TFV]

Ranidae - Members of this family do not have parotid glands (in contrast with the Bufonidae), and their toes taper to a point (unlike the rounded toes of the Hylidae).

Rana catesbeiana (bullfrog) is the largest frog on Mount Desert Island as well as in Maine. Bullfrogs overwinter as adults or first- or second-year tadpoles, with the first-year tadpoles emerging first followed by second-year tadpoles and finally adults. In 2009, tadpoles were seen on April 25 in a pond along the northern side of the private Big Moose Road in Tremont [TFV, EMW]. This tadpole was photographed in Bar Harbor on 7 July 2008.


The adult resembles a large green frog (Rana clamitans), but the bullfrog's dorsolateral ridges curve around its tympanum (vs. running the length of the back in the green frog). The adult below was photographed in Bar Harbor on 21 May 2010. Recommended reading: pages 90–93 in Maine Amphibians and Reptiles, edited by Malcolm L. Hunter Jr., Aram J. K. Calhoun, and Mark McCollough. Orono, ME: The University of Maine Press, 1999 (ISBN 0-89101-096-3)

Rana clamitans (green frog): The green frog, whose call sounds like the plucking of a loose banjo string, can most easily be identified by its lack of features possessed by other members of the family. It does not have the spots of Rana palustris (pickerel frog; see photo below) and Rana pipiens (northern leopard frog); it does not have the dark brown "face mask" of Rana sylvatica (wood frog; see photo below); and its dorsolateral ridges (the two raised strips on its back) do not each curve around a tympanum as they do on Rana catesbeiana (bullfrog).
   Recommended reading: pages 94–97 in Maine Amphibians and Reptiles, edited by Malcolm L. Hunter Jr., Aram J. K. Calhoun, and Mark McCollough. Orono, ME: The University of Maine Press, 1999 (ISBN 0-89101-096-3)
   This photo was taken by Alison P. Bell on 8 August 2007 along Seal Cove Road.

Rana palustris (pickerel frog): The pickerel frog and the northern leopard frog are the only frogs on Mount Desert Island with spots. The spots of the pickerel frog (see photo below) are squarish and in two more or less parallel lines along the frog's back.
   Recommended reading: pages 98–100 in Maine Amphibians and Reptiles, edited by Malcolm L. Hunter Jr., Aram J. K. Calhoun, and Mark McCollough. Orono, ME: The University of Maine Press, 1999 (ISBN 0-89101-096-3)
This photo was taken by Alison P. Bell on top of Pemetic Mountain in the town of Mount Desert.

Rana pipiens (northern leopard frog):
   Recommended reading: pages 101–106 in Maine Amphibians and Reptiles, edited by Malcolm L. Hunter Jr., Aram J. K. Calhoun, and Mark McCollough. Orono, ME: The University of Maine Press, 1999 (ISBN 0-89101-096-3)

Rana sylvatica (wood frog): The wood frog is usually the first frog in our area to be heard vocalizing. The sound is often described as quacking or clacking.
   Recommended reading: pages 111–118 in Maine Amphibians and Reptiles, edited by Malcolm L. Hunter Jr., Aram J. K. Calhoun, and Mark McCollough. Orono, ME: The University of Maine Press, 1999 (ISBN 0-89101-096-3)
Below are the dates of first reports of wood frog calls.
   2008
      April 7 - Bar Harbor area [reported by COA student]
      April 10 - Bar Harbor (Town Hill) [CM]
      April 14 - Tremont (Bass Harbor), pond along north side of Big Moose Road [TFV]
   2009
      April 4 - Tremont (Bass Harbor), area east of rock dump on Lighthouse Road [RG, STG]
      April 6 - Tremont (Bass Harbor), wetland along east side of Route 102A, southeast of intersection of Route 102A and Gray Barn Road [TFV]
      April 7 - Tremont, along east side of Route 102, approx. 0.1 miles north of northern intersection with Kelleytown Road [RGG, TFV]
      April 8 - Tremont, east of Kelleytown Road [TFV]
      April 10 - Tremont (Bass Harbor), edge of pond along south side of Birchwood Lane [TFV]
      April 14 - Bar Harbor (Hulls Cove), top of hill north of Hulls Cove [LW]
   2010
      March 22 - Tremont (Bass Harbor), wetland along east side of Route 102A, southeast of intersection of Route 102A and Gray Barn Road [TFV]
      April 1 - Tremont (Bass Harbor), area behind rock dump on Lighthouse Road [TFV]
      April 1 - Tremont (Bass Harbor), triangle formed by Route 102, Route 102A, and Flat Iron Road [TFV]
      April 1 - Tremont–Southwest Harbor, Bass Harbor marsh, near bridge on Route 102 [TFV]

Wood frog egg masses have been seen at the following locations:
   Bar Harbor: vernal pool along west side of pipeline path that runs more or less parallel with (and west of) Duck Brook Road - UTM: 19T 0560622, 4914822. Lat./Long.: N44° 23′2.9″ x W68° 14′20.2″. (19 April 2008; wood frogs also calling)
   Bar Harbor: vernal pool along west side of pipeline path that runs more or less parallel with (and west of) Duck Brook Road - UTM: 19T 0560554, 4914759. Lat./Long.: N44° 23′0.9″ x W68° 14′23.3″. (19 April 2008; wood frogs also calling)
This photo was taken by Carol Muth at Roque Bluffs in Washington County, Maine.