Rana
sphenocephala utricularius -
Southern Leopard Frog
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The Southern Leopard Frog
grows to about 3-1/2" long. Click image to
enlarge. |
A Native
Southern Frog
The
Southern Leopard Frog is generally
green or light brown in color with
dark brown or black blotches that
give this mostly aquatic frog its
common name. The Southern Leopard
Frog grows to 2-1/2 to 3-1/2" in
length, has a distinct light spot in
the center of its eardrum, a
long-pointed head and snout, and a
white line running along its upper
jaw.
Habitat
The
Southern Leopard Frog inhabits
freshwater ditches, canals, ponds,
lakes, marshes, mixed hardwood
swamps, and cypress swamps
throughout Florida. During the
summer it prefers weedy areas away
from the water where it can hide and
hunt for insects in moist
vegetation. This little guy was
found at night several yards from a
fresh-water canal hunting for dinner
in a driveway in front of a garage
door.
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Southern Leopard Frog. Click
image to enlarge. Click
here to hear its call. |
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Food
Habits
Southern Leopard Frogs are mostly
nocturnal and carnivorous, eating
almost any kind of insect they can
catch and fit in their mouth,
including earthworms, spiders and
centipedes.
Reproduction
Southern Leopard Frogs breed year
round in the southern part of
Florida and from March to June in
the cooler northern areas of the
state. They lay eggs in a clutch of
several hundred in shallow water.
Tadpoles hatch and remain in the
fully aquatic form for approximately
90 days while feeding on algae and
rotting plant matter. |
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Predators
Raccoons, bass and other fish,
snakes, otters and water-birds find
this frog to be a delicacy. When
these frogs are near water, they
escape predators on land by diving
into the water, making a sharp turn
while still submerged, and surface
amid vegetation at the water's edge
while the predator continues
searching for the frog where it
originally dove into the water. This
frog is hunted by humans for bass
bait.
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