Leopard frogs, also called
meadow frogs, are the archetypal
"grass frog"grass frogs" are usually members of the tree frog family , in particular of the genus Litoria.In most of the rest of the world, especially in North America and Europe, "grass frogs" are usually members of the true frog family , in particular of the genus Rana.The widespread African true frog...
s" of
North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, a collection of about 14
speciesIn biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
within the
true frogThe true frogs, family Ranidae, have the widest distribution of any frog family. They are abundant throughout most of the world, occurring on most continents except Antarctica...
genusIn biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
RanaRana is a genus of frogs. Species include such archetypal pond frogs as the common frog of Europe, brown frogs, and the New and Old World true frogs, including the various species of leopard frogs and the American bullfrog. Members of this genus are found through much of Eurasia, North America,...
. They are generally very similar, green with prominent black spotting (though actually more like that of a
cheetahThe cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
than that of a
leopardThe leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
). They can be told apart by their distribution and certain rather subtle ecological,
behaviorBehavior or behaviour refers to the actions and mannerisms made by organisms, systems, or artificial entities in conjunction with its environment, which includes the other systems or organisms around as well as the physical environment...
al,
morphologicalIn biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
and
geneticGenetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
traits. Their range extends throughout
temperateIn geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
and subtropical North America to northern
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, with some species found even further south.
Once abundant in North America, their population has declined in recent years because of
pollutionPollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
and
deforestationDeforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
. Leopard frogs are often used as
environmentThe natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
al
indicator speciesAn indicator species is any biological species that defines a trait or characteristic of the environment. For example, a species may delineate an ecoregion or indicate an environmental condition such as a disease outbreak, pollution, species competition or climate change...
because of their heightened sensitivity to chemical pollutants found in the air and water, and they are commonly used as
dissectionDissection is usually the process of disassembling and observing something to determine its internal structure and as an aid to discerning the functions and relationships of its components....
specimens in
biologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
classrooms. They were subject of some pioneering studies in
evolutionEvolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
ary
biologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
in the 20th century, and continue to be of much interest to various disciplines of biology.
Taxonomy
Leopard frogs were often grouped with the American bullfrog and relatives in the genus Lithobates.
Lithobates, however, is no longer recognized as a genus by most authors.
Species
Further species may exist in this famous
cryptic species complexIn biology, a cryptic species complex is a group of species which satisfy the biological definition of species—that is, they are reproductively isolated from each other—but whose morphology is very similar ....
- Rio Grande Leopard Frog
The Rio Grande Leopard Frog is a species of aquatic frog native to the southern United States in Texas and New Mexico, and south through to central Mexico. It is also sometimes referred to as the Mexican Leopard Frog...
, Rana berlandieri
- Plains Leopard Frog
The Plains Leopard Frog It is sometimes referred to as Blair's Leopard Frog, named after the noted zoologist and University of Texas professor, Dr. W. Frank Blair.- Description :...
, Rana blairi
- Chiricahua Leopard Frog
The Chiricahua Leopard Frog, Rana chiricahuensis, is a species of frog in the Ranidae family. It is found in Mexico and the United States. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, rivers, intermittent rivers, swamps, freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes,...
, Rana chiricahuensis
- Vegas Valley Leopard Frog
The Vegas Valley Leopard frog is a species of frog previously declared extinct. Once it occurred in the Las Vegas Valley, as well as Tule Springs, Clark County, southern Nevada, United States of America, at elevations between 370 and 760 m. It was believed to be the only frog endemic to the United...
, Rana fisheri
- Northwest Mexico Leopard Frog
The Northwest Mexico Leopard Frog is a species of frog in the Ranidae family.It is endemic to Mexico.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, freshwater marshes, and intermittent freshwater marches....
, Rana magnaocularis
- Island Leopard Frog
The Island Leopard Frog is a species of frog in the Ranidae family.It is endemic to Nicaragua where it is known as rana leopardo isleña....
, Rana miadis
- Transverse Volcanic Leopard Frog
The Transverse Volcanic Leopard Frog or Rana Neovolcánica is a species of frog in the Ranidae family.It is endemic to Mexico....
, Rana neovolcanica
- Guerreran Leopard Frog
The Guerreran Leopard Frog or Rana Guerrerense is a species of frog in the Ranidae family.It is endemic to the Sierra Madre del Sur in Guerrero, Mexico....
, Rana omiltemana
- Relict Leopard Frog
The Relict Leopard Frog is a species of frog in the Ranidae family.It is endemic to the United States.Its natural habitat is freshwater springs.It is threatened by habitat loss....
Rana onca
- Northern Leopard Frog
The Northern Leopard Frog is a species of leopard frog from the true frog family, native to parts of Canada and United States. It is the state amphibian of Minnesota and Vermont.-Physical description:...
, Rana pipiens
- Southern Leopard Frog
The Southern Leopard Frog is a species of mostly aquatic true frog, found in the south-eastern third of the United States. There are two accepted subspecies.- Physical description :...
, Rana sphenocephala
- Ramsey Canyon Leopard Frog
The Ramsey Canyon Leopard Frog is a species of frog in the Ranidae family.It is found in the United States and possibly Mexico....
, Rana subaquavocalis
- Tlaloc's Leopard Frog
The Tlaloc's Leopard Frog or Rana De Tláloc is a species of frog in the Ranidae family.It is endemic to Mexico.Its natural habitat is canals and ditches.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
, Rana tlaloci
- Lowland Leopard Frog
The Lowland Leopard Frog, Rana yavapaiensis, is a species of frog in the Ranidae family.It is found in Mexico and the United States; in Spanish it is known as rana de Yavapai....
, Rana yavapaiensis
The
Tsushima Brown FrogThe Tsushima Brown Frog, Rana tsushimensis, is a species of frog in the Ranidae family.It is endemic to Japan. It is also called Tsushima Leopard Frog, though leopard frogs proper are related species from North America....
, sometimes called Tsuschima Leopard Frog, is not very closely related to the leopard frogs.
External links