Lithobates sphenocephalus
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Lithobates sphenocephalus or Rana sphenocephala, commonly known as the southern leopard frog, is a medium-sized anuran in the family Ranidae (the true frogs). The southern leopard frog is one of the 36 species currently or formerly classified in the Rana genus found in North America. It is native to eastern North America from Kansas to New Jersey to Florida. It is also an introduced species in some areas.
This frog is up to 13 cm (5.1 in) long. Males at sexual maturity average 52.9 mm (2.08 in) snout to vent length and females average 63.8 mm (2.51 in) SVL. It is green or brown in color with a yellowish ridge along each side of the back. Rounded dark spots occur on the back and sides; a light spot is seen on each tympanum. The male has larger fore limbs than the female. The breeding male's vocal sacs are spherical when inflated. The call is described as a "ratchet-like trill", "chuckling croak", or a "squeaky balloon-like sound".
The larva is mottled, and the eyes are positioned on the top of the head. It grows to 7.6 cm (3.0 in) in length before maturing. The female lays an egg mass that is "baseball-sized" when close to hatching time, and contains up to 1,500 eggs... Wikipedia →
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United States · 2012
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United States · 2026
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United States · 2026
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shedd Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cape May County Park & Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Oklahoma Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Leopard Frog sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 49 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 9 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Leopard Frog in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in June and July, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southern 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 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Southern Leopard Frog sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 50%) and Congaree National Park (United States, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Southern Leopard Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (49 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.
