Northern Leopard Frog

Rana pipiens

Northern Leopard Frog. Photo: Joyce Gross

Widely distributed across Canada, the northern leopard frog has even been introduced onto Vancouver Island, Newfoundland and Anticosti Island. Their habitat is generally composed of meadowlands and fields with ponds, streams or rivers. It is in these aquatic areas that they breed and lay dormant during the winter. Dead frogs can often be seen on the bottom in spring after the ice thaws, because they either froze or the water ran out of oxygen. Because it is fairly common, the leopard frog is widely taken for dissection in biology courses.

Distribution of Northern Leopard Frog in Canada