Northern Leopard frogs are typically brown or greenish-brown and feature rows of black, brown, or green spots down their backs. Some can even have bright green legs. They are long and slender, measuring anywhere from 2 to 5 inches in length.

The Northern Leopard frog is one of the most prevalent frogs in North America, found in Canada, central and eastern United States, and from Mexico to Nicaragua. Like many other species of frog, the Northern Leopard frog prefers to live near a water source, such as streams and lakes. Wintertime drives these frogs into hibernation, which takes place underwater, in the mud, or underneath rocks and stones.

They love to eat leeches, spiders, snails, crickets, houseflies, bees, caddisflies, beetles, grasshoppers, and wasps. They also eat small tadpoles, fish, frogs, snakes, and the occasional hummingbirds. Northern leopard frogs have many predators. Fish, large salamanders, snakes, raccoons, mink, skunks, bullfrogs, herons, and hawks all prey upon frogs. They have been observed to live up to 9 years.

Fun facts:

• The spots on the Northern Leopard frog help to hide it from predators. The presence of such large spots breaks up its outline and makes it harder to see.
• Northern Leopard frogs can clear spans of 8 feet in a single leap—that’s 15 times their body length!