Anura       Rana blairi -- Plains Leopard Frog

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Purple shade indicates vouchered specimens. Light blue (cyan) shade indicates photographic records. Yellow shade indicates verified sighting. Slanted hatch indicates pre-1980 records only

NOTE: Not all specimens upon which these maps are based have been verified.

Key Characters: Darkly spotted; dorsolateral folds along sides interrupted near posterior ends and offset toward midline.

Similar Species: Crawfish frog, northern leopard frog, pickerel frog, southern leopard frog.

Description: Medium-sized (5-9.5 cm TL) gray or brown leopard frog with rounded dark brown spots on back. Distinct light line extends along upper jaw from near snout tip to tympanum or slightly beyond. Light spot usually on tympanum, and dark spot on snout. Pale borders around back spots very narrow or absent. Belly white with greenish yellow near groin and underside of thigh. Chest and throat sometimes mottled.

Habitat: Uncultivated former prairies, marshlands, along creeks, in open bottomlands, and in old fields (former prairie) not far from water. Breeds in still waters of pools, roadside and drainage ditches, marshes, and ponds.

Natural History: In many places, occurs with the more abundant southern leopard frog, with which it occasionally hybridizes. In some places in northern parts of its range it occurs with northern leopard frog. Eats a variety of invertebrates. Adults breed during March-April, sometimes in large numbers. Breeding call is described as guttural "chuck-chuck-chuck." Female lays 3,000-7,000 eggs. Tadpoles transform in midsummer.

Status: Most of original habitat has been rendered unsuitable by agriculture. Formerly widespread in extensive prairie marshlands of the state. Remains widespread, but not abundant, in peripheral prairie remnants and south along the Mississippi River bottomlands.