Figure 1.

The northern leopard frog Rana pipiens. From March to June mature R. pipiens gather at communal breeding ponds. Each female lays between 2,000 to 6,500 small, black and white eggs that hatch after two to three weeks 1. Tadpoles are greenish or brown, with yellow or black speckles and their bellies are white and somewhat transparent, reaching 84 mm in length 1. Metamorphosis typically occurs after 60 to 80 days, depending on conditions, and froglets are 20 to 30 mm long at metamorphosis 1. Sexual maturity is reached in one to three years and adult R. pipiens are slender, long-legged green or brown with a white or cream underside, prominent, light-colored dorsolateral ridges, and large, dark spots located on its back, sides, and legs and grow to an average length of 68 mm and mass of 38.0 g 1.