Southern leopard frog

Description

This frog is up to 13 centimeters long. It is green or brown in color with a yellowish ridge along each side of the back. There are rounded dark spots on the back and sides. There is a light spot on each eardrum. The male has larger forelimbs than the female. The breeding male has vocal sacs that are spherical when inflated. The call is described as a "ratchetlike trill", "chuckling croak", or a "squeaky balloon-like sound".

The larva is mottled, and the eyes are positioned on the top of the head. It grows to 7.6 centimeters in length before maturing. The female lays an egg mass that is "baseball-sized" when close to hatching time, and contains up to 1500 eggs.

Ecology and behavior

This frog lives in many types of shallow freshwater habitat and sometimes slightly brackish water. It is usually found close to water but it can stay on dry land for long periods of time. During warmer months it moves away from the water for most of the time. It is mostly nocturnal, but it can be active during the day and the night, especially during rainfall. It breeds in the winter and spring, and sometimes in the fall; heavy periods of rainfall trigger breeding. The egg mass is connected to aquatic vegetation. It may nest communally. Eggs hatch in 4 days to nearly two weeks. The tadpoles take 50 to 75 days to develop to adulthood.

In northern parts of its range it is dormant during the winter months, during which time it remains in well-oxygenated, unfrozen water bodies.

Range

This frog is widespread across the eastern United States, especially the southeast. It is the most common frog in Florida and in several other regions. It is an introduced species in the Bahamas. There was also an introduced population in Southern California at Prado Flood Control Basin that has disappeared.

Subspecies

There are two subspecies: