Acris gryllus
Silhouette: Dmitry Bogdanov (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The southern cricket frog or southeastern cricket frog (Acris gryllus) is a small hylid frog native to the Southeastern United States. It is very similar in appearance and habits to the northern cricket frog, Acris crepitans, and was considered formerly conspecific (Dickerson 1906). The scientific name Acris is from the Greek word for locust, and the species name gryllus is Latin for cricket (Georgia Wildlife).
At 0.75–1.5 inches (16–32 mm) in length, Acris gryllus is even smaller than A. crepitans. Other characters that differentiate the southern species are: More pointed snout--A. crepitans more blunt. Hind leg is more than half length of the body when folded—that of A. crepitans is less than one half body length. When rear leg is extended forward, the heel of A. gryllus usually reaches beyond the snout—does not reach snout in A. crepitans.
A. gryllus can jump longer distances than A. crepitans. A. gryllus has a sharply defined black stripe on the back of the thigh--A. crepitans has a ragged stripe. Webbing on rear feet of A. gryllus is sparse, more extensive in A. crepitans.
There is evidence that the color of the vertebral stripe on southern cricket frogs can... Wikipedia →
Recording0:10
United States · 2025
© Dean Firth · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:26
United States · 2025
© bleonar6 · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:24
United States · 2023
© Josh Emm · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Cricket Frog sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 10th most-seen of the 12 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April–May and July
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Cricket Frog in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, against under 5% in June and October–December, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southern Cricket Frog sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Southern Cricket Frog sightings, Big Cypress National Preserve has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (United States, about 10%) and Everglades National Park (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Hylidae
The closest relatives of the Southern Cricket Frog that you can see in Big Cypress National Preserve (family Hylidae, Hylid Tree Frogs) are Cuban Treefrog (about 50%), Squirrel Tree Frog (about 30%) and Green Treefrog (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Southern Cricket Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Big Cypress National Preserve (26 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
