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Rana pipiens

(Northern Leopard Frog)

Overview

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Endangered

Threat status

Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in English:

Northern Leopard Frog

Common Names in French:

Grenouille Léopard

Description

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Physical Description

Species Rana pipiens

A medium sized frog reaching sizes of 3 1/2 inches in length. It receives its name from its dark spots which are usually circular in shape and irregularly placed throughout the body. The background color can be green, brown or both. There are also two light colored dorsolateral folds, lines of raised glandular skin in an area between the back and the sides.

Habitat

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,658 meters (0 to 8,720 feet).[1]

Ecology: Springs , slow streams , marshes, bogs , ponds , canals, flood plains , reservoirs , and lakes ; usually permanent water with rooted aquatic vegetation. In summer, commonly inhabits wet meadows and fields . Takes cover underwater, in damp niches, or in caves when inactive . Over winters usually underwater. Eggs are laid and larvae develop in shallow, still, permanent water (typically), generally in areas well exposed to sunlight. Generally eggs are attached to vegetation just below the surface of the water. In northern Minnesota, successful reproduction in acidic bog water either does not occur or is a rare event (Karns 1992).In Panama, it is a largely terrestrial species of humid lowland and montane forest .

List of Habitats : 1.6 Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland 1.9 Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane 4.4 Grassland - Temperate 4.6 Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded 5.1 Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls ) 5.2 Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent/Irregular Rivers/Streams/Creeks 5.4 Wetlands (inland) - Bogs, Marshes, Swamps , Fens , Peatlands 5.5 Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) 5.6 Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) 5.7 Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) 5.8 Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) 5.9 Wetlands (inland) - Freshwater Springs and Oases 14.1 Artificial/Terrestrial - Arable Land 14.2 Artificial/Terrestrial - Pastureland 15.2 Artificial/Aquatic - Ponds (below 8ha) 15.5 Artificial/Aquatic - Excavations (open) 15.7 Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels ) 15.8 Artificial/Aquatic - Seasonally Flooded Agricultural Land 15.9 Artificial/Aquatic - Canals and Drainage Channels, Ditches

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 29-Aug-2005.

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Rana

There are approximately 663 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

R. (Hylarana) · R. (Paa) minica · R. aberae · R. aberdariensis · R. abyssinica · R. acanthi · R. adenopleura · R. adspersa · R. adspersa edulis · R. aequiplicata · R. aesopus · R. affinis · R. afghana · R. agilis · R. albolabris · R. albotuberculata · R. alsopus · R. altaica · R. alticola · R. amamiensis · R. amieti · R. amnicola · R. amurensis · R. amurensis coreana · R. anchietae · R. andersonii · R. angolensis · R. angolensis chapini · R. anlungensis · R. ansorgii · R. apilis · R. aragonensis · R. arathooni · R. archotaphus · R. areolata (Crawfish Frog) · R. areolata aesopus (Crawfish Frog) · R. areolata areolata (Southern Crawfish Frog) · R. areolata capito · R. areolata circulosa (Northern Crawfish Frog) · R. areolata sevosa · R. arfaki · R. arvalis · R. arvalis arvalis · R. arvalis wolterstorffi · R. asiatica · R. asiatria · R. aspera · R. asperata (Yangambi Butterbarbel) · R. asperrima · R. attigua · R. aurantiaca · R. aurata · R. aurora (California Red-Legged Frog) · R. aurora aurora (California Red-Legged Frog) · R. aurora cascadae · R. aurora draytoni · R. aurora draytonii (California Red-Legged Frog) · R. austricola · R. bacboensis · R. balcanica · R. banaorum · R. banjarana · R. bannanica · R. baramica · R. barbouri · R. basaltica · R. beddomii · R. bedriagae · R. bergeri (Italian Poolfrog) · R. berlandieri (Rio Grande Leopard Frog) · R. berlandieri forreri · R. betsileanus · R. bibronii · R. bicolor · R. binotata · R. blairi (Plains Leopard Frog) · R. blythi · R. blythii · R. bolavensis · R. boulengeri · R. boylei · R. boyli · R. boylii (Foothill Yellow Legged Frog) · R. boylii boylii (Foothill Yellow-Legged Frog) · R. boylii mucosa · R. boylii muscosa · R. boylii sierrae · R. boyli boyli · R. brachycephala · R. brama · R. breviceps · R. brevipalmata · R. brevipoda · R. brownorum · R. bunoderma · R. burnsi · R. bwana · R. bwanade · R. cacondana · R. caldwelli

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 05, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Mean = 308.090 meters (1,010.794 feet), Standard Deviation = 280.170 based on 795 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 2009-05-05