Amphibian · GBIF taxon 2427093
Southern Leopard Frog
Lithobates sphenocephalusAlso known as Florida Leopard Frog
Southern leopard frogs are agile leapers recognized by their sharply pointed snouts, prominent dorsolateral ridges, and pale white spot centered on each eardrum. Males gather in shallow wetlands during cool, rainy months to emit choruses of guttural croaks followed by rapid, rhythmic clucks. Outside of the breeding season, adults often wander substantial distances into upland woods, grassy fields, and roadside ditches to hunt.
AmphibianNocturnalSemi-aquatic
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Ground Beetles
- Spiders
- Earthworms
Predators
- Great Blue Heron
- Eastern Garter Snake
- Raccoon
ThreatsWetland drainage, habitat fragmentation, agricultural runoff, and road mortality
HabitatsFreshwater marshes, cypress swamps, ponds, flooded ditches, and damp meadows
Life span2–5 years
Classification
- OrderAnura
- FamilyRanidae
- GenusLithobates
- SpeciesLithobates sphenocephalus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Night scouting: Scan wetland margins with a headlamp to spot their distinctive golden eyeshine reflecting across the water.
- Call monitoring: Listen for short, chuckling trills during wet evenings from late winter into early spring.
Look-alike (c) Michael J. Papay, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michael J. Papay · cc-by
Competitor Carl D. Howe / CC BY-SA 2.5 · cc-by-sa
Predator (c) Andrew Durso, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative "Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens)" by acryptozoo is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
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Found in Collections
Ecosystem chain
Wetland Territory
Southern Leopard Frog is found in this collection. Identify it in Fauna to fill this slot and continue your progress.
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