The Nature of Things

While I was weeding the area around my little backyard goldfish pond last Saturday, I happened to interrupt the nap of this handsome fellow. He is a Southern Leopard Frog ( Rana sphenocephala ) and he and a number of his relatives inhabit my pond and its immediate environs. Leopard Frogs are pretty common anywhere there is shallow water. This can include lakes, marshes, streams, or backyard goldfish ponds. They are nocturnal and become active at night. Throughout the day, they generally hide among the plants, like my little friend. Sometimes, if they are startled, they will leap into the water. This guy, though, seemed too sleepy to bother. These frogs are large and slender and can grow up to about five inches long. They can be green or brown or, as this one is, green AND brown. with the large dark spots which give them their common name. Southern Leopard Frogs breed from March to June. Once mated, the female frogs lay egg masses of up to 4,000 eggs in shallow water, usually attached t...

There are five species of Leopard and Pickerel Frogs that occur on the continent. The ones that are present in my area of Southeast Texas are the Southern Leopard Frogs, an example of which you see here. This little frog and several of his relatives are present in my little backyard goldfish pond this summer. They love to sit and bask on the lilypads in the late afternoon as this one is doing. It's easy to see why these little frogs are called Leopard Frogs. They are strongly marked with spots just like a leopard. They range in color from green to brown. The ones in my pond show some variation but most are shades of brown. Southern Leopard Frogs are generally 2 - 3 1/2 inches long. The longest one on record was 5 inches. My frogs are on the smallish side and are incredibly cute! They are very welcome backyard visitors.