Lithobates palustris
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The pickerel frog (Lithobates palustris, formerly Rana palustris) is a North American frog, characterized by the appearance of seemingly "hand-drawn" squares on its dorsal surface. The pickerel frog is a large gray or tan frog marked with seven to twenty-one irregular rectangular dark brown spots which are oriented in two columns down its back. The average number of square markings has been found to vary based on geographic regions. The distinctive rectangular spots of the pickerel frog may blend together to form a long rectangle along the back. All leopard frogs have circular spots. In addition, pickerel frogs have prominent dorsolateral ridges that are unbroken. Another important distinguishing mark is the orange or yellow flash pattern found on the inner surface of the hind legs of pickerel frogs. The frog must be picked up to examine this, as the legs cover the coloration otherwise. The plains leopard frog (Lithobates blairi) exhibits this coloration as well, but the dorsolateral ridges are interrupted and inset medially in that species. The front toes of pickerel frogs are not webbed, a morphological characteristic for some frogs of the genus Rana... Wikipedia →
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ecomuseum Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Trailside Museum & Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pickerel Frog sighting in Cape Breton Highlands National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th most-seen of the 9 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May–June and September
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Pickerel Frog in Cape Breton Highlands National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–April, July and October–December, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pickerel Frog sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Pickerel Frog sightings, Cape Breton Highlands National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Acadia National Park (United States, about 40%), Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 30%) and Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same genus: Lithobates
The closest relatives of the Pickerel Frog that you can see in Cape Breton Highlands National Park (genus Lithobates, American Water Frogs) are Green Frog (about 50%), Wood Frog (about 40%) and Northern Leopard Frog (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pickerel Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Cape Breton Highlands National Park (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
