Leopard frog
| Leopard frog | ||||||||||||
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Leopard frog ( Rana pipiens ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Rana pipiens | ||||||||||||
| Schreber , 1782 |
The leopard frog ( Rana pipiens , syn .: Lithobates pipiens ) belongs to the genus of real frogs ( Rana ) within the family of real frogs (Ranidae ).
description
The leopard frog reaches a size of five to eleven centimeters. The basic color can be green or brownish. The dark spots on its upper side are noticeable. He likes to be in the water and has an extraordinary jumping ability. A skin edge, so-called dorsolateral glandular ridges, runs on both sides from the eye to the abdomen . The eardrums are clearly visible and lie close behind the eyes, being about the size of the diameter of the eyes.
distribution and habitat
The north of the USA and much of Canada , north to Hudson Bay , are the main range, west to the eastern parts of British Columbia , Washington and Oregon . On the east coast it occurs south to northern Virginia , in the west south to New Mexico , Arizona , Colorado , Utah and also in parts of California and Nevada . In 2012 an as yet unnamed subspecies was discovered on Staten Island .
The leopard frog lives in wetlands and landscapes near water, up to heights of 3350 meters. The crepuscular animals hibernate during the cold months .
The leopard frog is a state amphibian for the states of Vermont and Minnesota .
food
Leopard frogs mainly feed on worms and all kinds of insects and their larvae .
Reproduction and Individual Development
The leopard frog reaches sexual maturity at two to three years of age. The mating season begins with the end of hibernation. The female lays her spawn from clumps with up to 6500 eggs in the shallow water of lakes, ponds and canals, which is then inseminated by the male . The eggs are about 1.7 millimeters in diameter. The tadpoles hatch after 10 to 15 days of embryonic development . After 80 to 90 days, the metamorphosis into a frog is complete. They have a life expectancy of around six to nine years in freedom. In captivity the age of 20 years was reached.
Danger
This frog species is to be classified as endangered in large parts of its natural range . The destruction of its natural habitats and its removal for laboratory purposes have caused the populations to decline sharply. Furthermore, the application of weed killers ensures a strong decimation, especially of tadpoles of this species.
swell
- Distribution, habitat: Rana Pipiens (northern leopard frog) in the Animal Diversity Web
Web links
- Further information in English, in particular also on the causes of danger. To do this, enter “Rana” under Genus and “pipiens” under Species and click on Search
- Lithobates pipiens in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2013.1. Posted by: Geoffrey Hammerson, Frank Solís, Roberto Ibáñez, César Jaramillo, Querube Fuenmayor, 2004. Retrieved November 19, 2013.