Northern Leopard Frog - Sierra Club BC
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Northern Leopard Frog

CAN BE FOUND IN:

Northern Leopard Frog

Lithobates pipiens 

Appearance

Also known as the spotted leopard frog, these frogs are green and brown. They are covered in spots, like a leopard, and can be as large as ten centimetres in length. They also have a white belly underneath their rough backside. 

Range & habitat

These frogs live in the mountainous habitat of the southern Interior mountains and can also be found in northern B.C., Alberta, and the United States. They like cold lakes, marshes, and streams. They spend most of their time in the summer months gathering food. 

Reciprocal Relationships  

The northern leopard frog plays an important role in transferring nutrients between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. These frogs spend most of their time foraging at night in mountainous regions, and the transfer of nutrients such as nitrogen is important for plant health. These frogs eat insects, worms, and crustaceans, and in turn are eaten by predatory fish, exotic bullfrogs, and other larger animals.  

During the winter, these frogs burrow into the ground and can receive enough oxygen to survive through their skin and throat glands. Because their mountain home warms slowly in spring, the northern (spotted) leopard frogs must wait for the ice to melt before they can begin mating in May and June. 

Habitat degradation really hurts these species. These frogs are at risk from industrial activity, overgrazing, and pesticide use. When these populations decline, it is an indication that the ecosystem's health is also declining. Since these frogs are endangered, it is our responsibility to help bolster and steward their populations.  

Status

COSEWIC: Endangered 
CDC: Red 

More information 

If you belong to a First Nation with a story or piece of information not represented here and you would like to share more about this species, please email us at education@sierraclub.bc.ca

PHoto credit

Canva

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