Fauna
Amphibian

River Frog

Lithobates heckscheri

Also known as Heckscher's Frog

River frogs are large, heavily mottled aquatic amphibians that inhabit slow-moving waterways and cypress swamps across the coastal plain. Unlike most solitary ranids, their enormous tadpoles form tightly synchronized, schooling aggregations of thousands of individuals that feed together along shallow margins. Adults are remarkably placid and often play dead or produce an unpleasant skin secretion when seized by a predator.

AmphibianAquaticNocturnal
River Frog reference1 / 7
(c) John G. Phillips, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by John G. Phillips · cc-by
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyCrayfish, Aquatic beetles, Dragonfly nymphs
Predators
  • Banded water snake
  • Great blue heron
  • American alligator
ThreatsWetland degradation, river channelization, invasive predators, and water pollution
HabitatsBlackwater rivers, cypress-gum swamps, floodplain marshes, and vegetated lake margins
Life span5–8 years
Classification
  1. FamilyRanidae
  2. SpeciesLithobates heckscheri
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Night Spotting: Scan slow riverbanks with a flashlight to catch eye-shine from resting adults.
  • Tadpole Watching: Look for dense, dark schools of tadpoles grazing in shallow margins by day.
  • Audio Surveys: Listen on humid summer nights for deep, guttural snoring bellows.
Related species
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?

Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.

Checking your Fauna account…