Common Name: Northern Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana pipiens
Family: Ranidae – True Frog family
Location: United States and Canada
US Locations Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming
Size: 2 – 4.3 inches (5 – 10.9 cm)
The Northern Leopard Frog used to be a incredibly common frog in the USA and Canada but human activities have decreased their numbers. Pesticides, pollution, habitat destruction, and the spread of diseases are some of the reasons why their numbers aren’t what they used to be. The Northern Leopard Frog gets its name from the spots on its body. The frog can vary in color from bright green to a brown color.
The Northern Leopard Frog breeds from mid March to June, depending on locations. The males of the species will call out for females in the calm shallows of lakes, ponds, and streams. The female will then select her mate and the male will grasp her from behind in amplexus. The female will then lay her eggs and the male will fertilize them. A cluster of eggs can contain up to 6,500 eggs! Neither parent provides any parental care for the offspring.
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