Class Amphibia in Maine
 (Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata)

a project of
Maine Natural History Observatory
reproduced here with the permission of the Observatory

(updated 10 March 2025)



Welcome to the Maine Amphibian checklist.
Maine is home to 18 species in 12 genera in 7 families in 2 orders.

Below is a working checklist of amphibians that live in Maine. For more information about a particular species, click on the link under the heading “common name”, and you will be taken to a page for the order that includes that species. Otherwise, to determine which order the amphibian that you are trying to identify belongs to, refer to the tabular key at the bottom of this page.

How to contribute to this page. Please e-mail corrections and updates to info@vfthomas.com or send them to the address at the top of this page. Photographs are encouraged. Thank you.

A little work by each of us will save a lot of work for all of us.


Order Family Genus Specific Epithet Authority Common Name Source (full citation given after this table)
Caudata Proteidae Necturus maculosus (Rafinesque) common mudpuppy Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 33–36, 213.
Caudata Ambystomatidae Ambystoma laterale Hallowell blue-spotted salamander Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 37–43, 213.
Caudata Ambystomatidae Ambystoma maculatum (Shaw) spotted salamander Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 44–48, 214.
Caudata Salamandridae Notophthalmus viridescens (Rafinesque) eastern newt Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 49–52, 214.
Caudata Plethodontidae Desmognathus fuscus (Rafinesque) northern dusky salamander Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 53–55, 215.
Caudata Plethodontidae Eurycea bislineata (Green) northern two-lined salamander Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 56–58, 215.
Caudata Plethodontidae Gyrinophilus porphyriticus (Green) spring salamander Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 59–61, 216.
Caudata Plethodontidae Hemidactylium scutatum (Temminck and Schlegel in Temmick and Schlegel) four-toed salamander Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 62–63, 216.
Caudata Plethodontidae Plethodon cinereus (Green) northern redback salamander Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 66–70, 217.
Anura Bufonidae Anaxyris americanus (Holbrook) American toad Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 73–78, 217 (as Bufo americanus).
Anura Hylidae Dryophytes versicolor (LeConte) gray treefrog Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 79–84, 218 (as Hyla versicolor).
Anura Hylidae Pseudacris crucifer (Wied-Neuwied) spring peeper Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 85–89, 218.
Anura Ranidae Lithobates catesbeianus (Shaw) bullfrog Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 90–93, 219 (as Rana catesbeiana).
Anura Ranidae Lithobates clamitans Latreille in Sonnini de Manoncourt and Latreille green frog Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 94–97, 219 (as Rana clamitans.
Anura Ranidae Lithobates palustris (LeConte) pickerel frog Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 98–100, 220 (as Rana palustris.
Anura Ranidae Lithobates pipiens (Schreber) northern leopard frog Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 101–106, 220.
Anura Ranidae Lithobates septentrionalis (Baird) mink frog Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 107–110, 221 (as Rana septentrionalis.
Anura Ranidae Lithobates sylvaticus (LeConte) wood frog Hunter et al. (1999); pp. 111–118, 221 (as Rana sylvatica.


Source:
   Hunter et al. (1999) = Hunter, Malcom L. Jr., Aram J. K. Calhoun, and Mark McCollough (eds.). 1999 (second edition). Maine Amphibians and Reptiles. (ISBN 0-89101-096-3)



Key to the orders of amphibians that live in Maine
tail (adult) char. 2 char. 3 char. 4 char. 5
Anura (frogs, toads) absent
Caudata (salamanders) present