Amphibians · Anura · Ranidae

Northern Leopard Frog

Lithobates pipiens

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The northern leopard frog is green with large dark blotches edged in pale, and was for decades the laboratory and dissection amphibian par excellence in North America. Its decline from the 1970s onwards, with mass deformities in several populations, was one of the first warning signs of the global amphibian crisis.

Weight

29 g on average

Size

5 cm – 11 cm

Lifespan

9 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

FreshwaterGrasslandCarnivore Diurnal Nocturnal Solitary Amphibian Freshwater Grassland

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Fun facts

It was for decades the standard dissection amphibian in North American biology classes, and millions of animals were taken from the wild for that use before the practice declined.
In the 1990s populations appeared with mass deformities, frogs with extra or malformed legs, and subsequent research pointed to a trematode parasite favoured by agricultural eutrophication.
Its decline was one of the first warning signs of the global amphibian crisis: an extremely abundant species that began to disappear from wide areas for no apparent reason.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)
Habitat & environment: Damp meadows, ponds, marshes and riverbanks of northern North America
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: Larval development in pools and lagoons
Litter / clutch size: 4146

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithobates_pipiens