Lithobates berlandieri
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
The Rio Grande leopard frog (Lithobates berlandieri or Rana berlandieri) is a species of aquatic frog native to the southern United States in Texas and New Mexico, and south through Mexico and Central America. It is also sometimes referred to as the Mexican leopard frog. The epithet berlandieri is in honor of the naturalist Jean Louis Berlandier, who worked for the Mexican government on one of the first biological surveys of Texas.
Rio Grande leopard frogs grow from 2.2 to 4.5 inches (5.6 to 11.4 cm) in length. They are usually tan, brown, or pale green in color, with distinctive black spotting with prominent light-colored ridges down either side of their backs. Their noses are angular, and they have long, powerful legs with webbed feet.
The species is primarily aquatic, and mostly nocturnal, though they can be often found during the day resting along the edge of the water. Despite their geographic range being mostly arid or semiarid, they inhabit permanent water sources, such as streams, creeks, and ponds. They are insectivorous, but like most frogs, will eat almost anything they can overpower and swallow. Mating occurs during... Wikipedia →
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Fluviário de Mora | 🇵🇹 Portugal |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rio Grande Leopard Frog sighting in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park on a given day, based on 53 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 10 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June–July and September–October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Rio Grande Leopard Frog in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, the lowest month. Those are among Cumbres de Monterrey National Park's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain a month against 20 mm in December.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rio Grande Leopard Frog sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Rio Grande Leopard Frog sightings, Cumbres de Monterrey National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Padre Island National Seashore (United States, about 20%) and Big Bend National Park (United States, about 20%).
Same order: Anura
The closest relatives of the Rio Grande Leopard Frog that you can see in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (order Anura, Frogs and Toads) are Small-eard Hyla (about 30%), Gulf Coast Toad (about 20%) and Mexican Smilisca (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rio Grande Leopard Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (53 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.
