{"id":78,"date":"2015-12-12T05:24:59","date_gmt":"2015-12-12T05:24:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/?page_id=78"},"modified":"2021-10-02T03:47:35","modified_gmt":"2021-10-02T03:47:35","slug":"northern-leopard-frog-lithobates-pipiens","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/amphibians\/frogs-and-toads-2\/northern-leopard-frog-lithobates-pipiens\/","title":{"rendered":"Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Northern Leopard Frog (<em>Lithobates pipiens<\/em>)<\/h3>\n<p>Alternate names: <em>Rana pipiens<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">by <a href=\"mailto:REPTILIA74@aol.com\">Jeff LeClere<\/a><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_360\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-360\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_1.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-360\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-360\" src=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_1.jpg\" alt=\"An adult northern leopard frog, Lithobates pipiens, from Muscatine County, Iowa.\" width=\"400\" height=\"330\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_1.jpg 640w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_1-300x248.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_1-182x150.jpg 182w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_1-150x124.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-360\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A northern leopard frog, <em>Lithobates pipiens<\/em>, from Muscatine County, Iowa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qocDQpsweUo\" width=\"560\" height=\"314\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Northern leopard frogs, <em>Lithobates pipiens<\/em>, calling.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><b><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Status<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\">Species of Greatest Conservation Need. A valid fishing license is required to possess this species for bait or food. Common throughout Iowa, although we would like reports of the &#8220;burnsi phase&#8221; of this species.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\"><b>Description<\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\">The leopard frog is the most familiar frog in Iowa. They may grow to 3 1\/2 inches body length. They may be varying shades of green or brown. There are round black spots scattered randomly about the back and on the sides and usually one on the snout. They belly is plain white. There are two light (sometimes golden) complete dorsolateral ridges down the back. There are spots on the forelimbs and tiger stripes or bars on the hind legs. The groin and thighs have a greenish (very rarely yellowish) wash.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_361\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-361\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-361\" src=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_leopard_frog_Lithobates_pipiens_2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_leopard_frog_Lithobates_pipiens_2.jpg 640w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_leopard_frog_Lithobates_pipiens_2-300x200.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_leopard_frog_Lithobates_pipiens_2-225x150.jpg 225w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_leopard_frog_Lithobates_pipiens_2-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-361\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A northern leopard frog, <em>Lithobates pipiens<\/em>, from Jasper County, Iowa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\">Brown specimens of the leopard frog differ from pickerel frogs by having round spots scattered randomly about the about the back, and a greenish wash on the thighs. Also pickerel frogs are found only in the trout streams of extreme eastern Iowa. One variant of the northern leopard frog is found in Iowa; the burnsi form is found from time to time in the state. It is brown or green with no dorsal spots. It has spots or bars on the limbs, and may have black stippling on the back and sides.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1862\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1862\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1862\" src=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Northern_leopard_frog_burnsi_phase_Dickinson_County_Iowa.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Northern_leopard_frog_burnsi_phase_Dickinson_County_Iowa.jpg 640w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Northern_leopard_frog_burnsi_phase_Dickinson_County_Iowa-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1862\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A northern leopard frog, <em>Lithobates pipiens<\/em>, brown burnsi phase, from Dickinson County, Iowa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_362\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-362\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-362\" src=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_burnsi_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"295\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_burnsi_1.jpg 640w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_burnsi_1-300x221.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_burnsi_1-203x150.jpg 203w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_burnsi_1-150x111.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-362\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A northern leopard frog, <em>Lithobates pipiens<\/em>, green burnsi phase, from Minnesota.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\"><b>Subspecies<\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\">There are no subspecies of the northern leopard frog,<em> Lithobates pipiens<\/em>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\"><b>Range<\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">The northern leopard frog is found statewide in Iowa.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_730\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-730\" style=\"width: 231px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-730\" src=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Rana_pipiens-1.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"231\" height=\"146\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-730\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Range map for the northern leopard frog in Iowa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\"><b>Habitat<\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\">The northern leopard frog is found near all water types. Lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, large and small wetlands, even homemade ponds. Leopard frogs move considerable distances from water, especially in wet grasslands or damp woodlands. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\"><b>Habits<\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\">Northern leopard frogs breed in March and April. Sometimes males call while underwater. They produce a low pitched snore often followed by a chuckling noise, or a deep &#8220;urr, urr, urr&#8221;. A single female may lay 3,000 to 5,000 eggs in a round mass. The females may all lay eggs in one portion of the pond. Tadpoles metamorphose in about three months.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_363\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-363\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-363\" src=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_burnsi_2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"306\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_burnsi_2.jpg 640w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_burnsi_2-300x230.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_burnsi_2-196x150.jpg 196w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_burnsi_2-150x115.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-363\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A northern leopard frog, <em>Lithobates pipiens<\/em>, brown burnsi phase, from Minnesota.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\">During rainy weather, (especially during spring or fall migrations) great numbers of these frogs are seen crossing the roadway, especially near wetlands. So many may be on the road that it causes a slick driving hazard. They may also venture into backyards and move into outdoor ponds or swimming pools. When they move far from a body of water, they may absorb dew to keep them moist. They overwinter in deep water. These frogs are declining due to habitat destruction, additions of roadways, pollution, disease, and other factors. Also, they are collected for biological supply houses, anglers use them for bait and any medium or large sized carnivores prey upon them. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\"><b>Food <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Northern leopard frogs consume insects, earthworms, and other invertebrates.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_364\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-364\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_2.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-364\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-364\" src=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_2.jpg\" alt=\"A juvenile northern leopard frog, Lithobates pipiens, from Louisa County, Iowa.\" width=\"400\" height=\"326\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_2.jpg 513w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_2-300x244.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_2-184x150.jpg 184w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/Amphibians\/Frogs\/Northern_Leopard_Frog_Lithobates_pipiens_Iowa_2-150x122.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-364\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A northern leopard frog, <em>Lithobates pipiens<\/em>, juvenile, from Louisa County, Iowa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1717\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1717\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1717\" src=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Northern_leopard_frog_Iowa_County_Iowa.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Northern_leopard_frog_Iowa_County_Iowa.jpg 640w, http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Northern_leopard_frog_Iowa_County_Iowa-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1717\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A northern leopard frog, <em>Lithobates pipiens<\/em>, from Iowa County, Iowa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Northern leopard frogs calling 2\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Cc8cHtrSeIc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>Northern leopard frogs, <em>Lithobates pipiens<\/em>, calling.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) Alternate names: Rana pipiens by Jeff LeClere Northern leopard frogs, Lithobates pipiens, calling. Status Species of Greatest Conservation Need. A valid fishing license is required to possess this species for bait or food. Common throughout Iowa, although we would like reports of the &#8220;burnsi phase&#8221; of this species. Description The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":10,"menu_order":15,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/78"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/78\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1864,"href":"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/78\/revisions\/1864"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.herpnet.net\/Iowa-Herpetology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}