Species
Southern leopard frog
Lithobates sphenocephalus
A slender, spotted frog of marshes and wet fields that leaps in zigzags when startled.
Photo Judy Gallagher (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- About 5 to 9 cm long
- Habitat
- Marshes, ponds, ditches, wet meadows and brackish marsh
- Diet
- Insects, spiders and small invertebrates
- In Georgia
- Common statewide
- Voice
- Guttural croaks and chuckles, like rubbing a balloon
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Green or brown with round dark spots; pale ridges down the back; pointed head; a light spot on the eardrum
- Told apart from
- Pickerel frog, which has square spots and yellow under the legs
- Where to look
- In wet grass near water; jumping ahead of you
Behaviour
Leopard frogs wander into wet grass and fields away from water in summer. When disturbed they leap in long zigzags. They breed in cool months in the South, sometimes in winter.
Why they matter
They are a key prey animal for snakes, herons and hawks and eat many insects.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Eggs — Clusters of hundreds to thousands
Hatching — In a week or two
Tadpoles — Change into frogs in 2 to 3 months
Maturity — Within a year
Lifespan — A few years
Calling — In cool months
Living around people
- It is harmless; lawn chemicals near ponds harm it.
Misconceptions
- Frogs only breed in spring. In Georgia the southern leopard frog often breeds in winter.
Related species
Seasonal activity
When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Active nests | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Notes | Breeding in mild weather | Breeding | Breeding | Young frogs | Active | Active in wet grass | Active | Active | Breeding in autumn rains | Breeding | Active on mild days | Breeding in mild weather |
Where it lives
Recorded in 21 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
If you found one
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