Lithobates yavapaiensis
—
Lowland Leopard Frog
The genus Lithobates was split from Rana by Frost et al in 2006. This has been a controversial change ever since, and many authorities continue to use Rana.
There were about fifty zillion of these jumpy frogs in warm shallow pools along a creek. My serpentophile herping companions had no interest in these slimy common amphibians (ewwww), but Roger Repp stuck up for my desire to photograph a new species just strongly enough that I was allowed five minutes to get out of the car and try to sneak up on a few of them. Only after I saw the photos on my computer did I notice that the one in the back seems to be suffering from a reduced number of eyes.
Printed references:
- Brennan, T. C. and Holycross, A. T. 2006. A Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles in Arizona
- Crother, B. I. (ed.) 2017. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, Eighth Edition
- Stebbins, R. C. 2003. Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Third Edition