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Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

Leopard frogs are often called meadow frogs because during early summer they frequent wet, grassy fields, where they search for insects. Missouri is home to three species of leopard frogs; two are common and one, the northern leopard frog, is rare. The northern leopard frog ranges throughout the New England states, most of southern Canada, the Great Lakes states and into mid-elevations of the Rocky Mountains to the west. Missouri is the south-central limit of the northern leopard frog's range. This spotted frog was first identified in Missouri in 1985 and is known to inhabit only two northern counties, where they live in small, equally rare natural marshes. This species can be helped by protecting and re-creating natural marsh habitats.-- Tom R. Johnson, herpetologist