Southern Leopard Frog

How to identify

• Rounded or oval dark spots on green or brown background
• White spot in center of tympanum
• Pointed snout
• Dorsolateral ridges present
• No yellow coloring in groin

About this species

A large, spotted frog of the coastal plain and piedmont, the southern leopard frog is identified by its rounded dark spots on a green or brown background. Unlike pickerel frogs, the spots are rounded rather than square, and there is no yellow coloring in the groin. They are common around ponds, marshes, and slow streams and are active across a long season.

Often confused with

Did you know

"Southern leopard frogs can leap up to three feet in a single bound — impressive for an animal that fits in the palm of your hand — and often jump toward water in a series of erratic zigzag leaps to confuse predators."

Sightings & citizen science

Help document Virginia wildlife by logging your sightings on iNaturalist. Every observation builds the conservation data that researchers and rehabbers depend on.