Rana Sphenocephala
(Members Only)
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| Southern Leopard Frog Rana Sphenocephala |
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| The Southern Leopard Frog is quite similar to the Northern Leopard Frog. They display an unbroken dorsolateral ridge like the Northern Leopard Frog. It can be distinguished by a light marking on the center of the tympanic membrane. The tympanic membrane, or typanum, can be called the frog's eardrum. It is composed of nonglandular skin and unlike our own eardrums it is situated externally on the frog. It is located in most species directly behind the eye. They function in a similar fashion to our own eardrum. In addition, the Southern Leopard Frog usually has less side markings and the spots are smaller. Their head is more pointed than the Northern Leopard Frog. The Southern Leopard Frog ranges from extreme southern New York south along the coast to Florida. To the west, they range from eastern Texas north to eastern Kansas. Their northerly range is Missouri, southern Illinois and Indiana, and then south through Kentucky and Tennessee. The populations found within Florida have been given their own subspecies classification as the Florida Leopard Frog, Rana sphenocephala utricularia. However, they cannot be easily distinguished from individuals occupying the rest of the distribution range (called R. s. sphenocephala) and there are some who question this classification. Further studies are needed to determine this status. | ||||||||||
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