Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens)

AmphibianFrogNorth America

Overview

The northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens) is a slender, long-legged North American frog named for the pattern that covers it: rounded dark spots, each ringed with a pale halo, scattered across a green or brown back.

A pair of pale, raised ridges — the dorsolateral folds — run down each side of the back, and these help separate it from similar spotted frogs. It is a strong jumper and, unusually for a frog, often forages well away from water in damp grassland, which has earned it the name meadow frog.

This was once one of the most abundant frogs in North America and a staple of school and university biology classes. Marked declines across parts of its range from the 1960s onward made it an early and prominent case in the study of global amphibian decline.

Habitat & Range

Northern leopard frogs live across much of Canada and the northern United States. They breed in permanent and semi-permanent still water — ponds, marshes, slow streams and ditches with plentiful vegetation — and spend much of the summer in damp meadows, fields and grassland away from open water, returning to water to overwinter.

Diet

Adults are generalist predators of invertebrates: beetles, flies, ants, crickets, spiders, worms and snails, taken with a rapid tongue strike. Larger individuals may take small vertebrates. Tadpoles graze algae and organic material before metamorphosis.

Behavior

Males call in spring from breeding ponds with a low snore-like sound followed by chuckling notes. Leopard frogs are powerful jumpers and rely on speed and erratic leaping to escape, often heading for water in a series of zig-zag hops. In summer they disperse into meadows to feed, and in winter they return to water, overwintering on the bottom of ponds and streams where oxygen levels remain adequate.

Human Interaction & Conservation

The northern leopard frog was historically collected in large numbers for teaching, research and bait, and it remains a familiar species in North American natural history. Declines beginning in the mid-twentieth century — particularly severe in western populations — were linked to a combination of habitat loss, wetland drainage, disease including chytrid fungus, pollution and introduced predators, and helped bring amphibian declines to wider scientific attention. Amphibian skin is highly permeable, so wild frogs should not be handled unnecessarily. This profile offers no handling or keeping guidance. Status varies regionally; verify at the IUCN Red List.

Sourced facts

Each value below is traced to the specific reference that states it, listed at the end of this section. Reviewed 2026-09-22.

Sourced facts about the Northern Leopard Frog, with the reference supporting each
Fact	What the source states	Source
Body size	5–11.1 cm as adults; tadpoles reach about 8.4 cm and froglets are 2–3 cm at metamorphosis	Animal Diversity Web
Weight	About 29 g on averageAn average; the account gives no span.	Animal Diversity Web
Lifespan	Up to about 9 years in the wild, which very few individuals reach	Animal Diversity Web
Geographic range	Much of North America — from Hudson Bay south along the eastern seaboard to northern Virginia, west to British Columbia, and south to New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and parts of California and Nevada	Animal Diversity Web
Habitat	Marshland, brushland and forest with permanent slow-moving water and aquatic vegetation, up to about 3,350 m; also farmland and golf courses	Animal Diversity Web
Diet	Adults take terrestrial invertebrates — spiders, insects and their larvae, slugs, snails and earthworms — and large adults occasionally small vertebrates; tadpoles are mainly herbivorous	Animal Diversity Web
Activity pattern	Most active at night in the breeding season and by day when foraging	Animal Diversity Web
Social structure	Solitary outside the breeding season but tolerant of others; no territories except small calling territories held by males at the breeding pond	Animal Diversity Web

References for the facts above

UniversityAnimal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of ZoologySupports: Body size, mass, lifespan, geographic range, habitat, diet, activity pattern and social structure. Retrieved 2026-09-22.Limitations: A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.

Frequently Asked Questions — Northern Leopard Frog

How do you identify a northern leopard frog?

By the combination of rounded dark spots each surrounded by a pale halo, a green or brown background, and a pair of raised pale ridges — the dorsolateral folds — running down each side of the back. Those folds are useful for separating it from other spotted frogs.

Why is it also called a meadow frog?

Because it spends much of the summer away from open water. Unlike frogs that stay close to a pond, northern leopard frogs disperse into damp meadows, fields and grassland to feed, returning to water to breed in spring and to overwinter.

Why did northern leopard frogs decline?

Declines from the mid-twentieth century onward, especially in western populations, have been linked to a combination of factors — wetland drainage and habitat loss, disease including chytrid fungus, pollution, and introduced predators. The species became an early prominent case in the study of global amphibian decline.

What do northern leopard frogs eat?

Adults are generalist invertebrate predators, taking beetles, flies, ants, crickets, spiders, worms and snails, with larger individuals occasionally taking small vertebrates. Tadpoles graze algae and organic material until they metamorphose.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.

UniversityAnimal Diversity Web — Lithobates pipiens (northern leopard frog) — University of Michigan species account
UniversityAmphibiaWeb — University of California, Berkeley — Authoritative database of amphibian biology and conservation
Wildlife referenceIUCN Red List of Threatened Species — Authoritative source for current conservation status