Leopard frog
Leopard frog is a common name for several species in the true frog genus Lithobates. They usually have brown or green skin with spots that look like a leopard’s pattern. Different species are told apart by where they live, how they behave, their body shapes, and their DNA.
The frogs in this group live from Hudson Bay in Canada, across the United States, into Mexico and Central America, and possibly into the northern parts of South America. Leopard frogs belong to the genus Lithobates, which also includes frogs like the American bullfrog. Many leopard frog species look very similar, and there is a lot of variation even within a population. Some populations may actually be cryptic species that are hard to tell apart.
In March 2012, DNA testing confirmed a new leopard frog species living around New York City area, including near Yankee Stadium, northern New Jersey, southeastern New York, and Staten Island. It was first distinguished by its short, repetitive croak, different from the longer croak of other nearby species such as L. pipiens and L. sphenocephalus. This new species has been found as far south as southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.
On October 30, 2014, it was announced that the 2012 frog described a new species: the Atlantic Coast leopard frog (Lithobates kauffeldi), which once inhabited Manhattan, New York.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:54 (CET).