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Home/Species/ Rio Grande Leopard Frog

Lithobates berlandieri

(Baird, 1859)

Rio Grande Leopard Frog

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.106539
Element CodeAAABH01030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderAnura
FamilyRanidae
GenusLithobates
Synonyms
Rana berlandieriBaird, 1859
Other Common Names
Rana leopardo (ES)
Concept Reference
Frost, D. R. 1985. Amphibian species of the world. A taxonomic and geographical reference. Allen Press, Inc., and The Association of Systematics Collections, Lawrence, Kansas. v + 732 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
Geographic variation is not well documented and relationships with extralimital Mexican forms (e.g., L. forreri, L. brownorum) are not well understood (Crother 2017, Nicholson 2025). No subspecies are recognized (Platz 1991).

The generic taxonomy of American ranids is controversial, with three nomenclatural arrangements being consistent with current understandings of phylogeny: The single-genus arrangement of Yuan et al. (2016) which placed all Eurasian Rana and Pseudorana as well as all American ranids into Rana; the three-genus model of Che et al. (2007), largely in agreement with the earlier arrangement by Frost et al. (2006), which recognizes Pseudorana in Asia, Rana in Eurasia and western North America, and Lithobates in the Americas; and a seven-genus model of Dubois et al. (2021) which recognizes Pseudorana, Rana, and Liuhurana in Eurasia and Amerana (the Pacific Coast ranids of North America), Aquarana (for the bullfrogs and allies), Boreorana (a monotypic genus for Wood Frog, L. sylvaticus), and Lithobates (for the leopard frogs and allies). Here we follow Nicholson (2025) who defer from recognizing Amerana, Aquarana, or Boreorana at this time pending achievement of more phylogenetic stability, especially with respect to the position of the taxon sylvaticus which inconsistently is recovered as sister to the proposed Aquarana or as sister to Lithobates.
Conservation Status
Review Date2002-05-01
Change Date2001-11-14
Edition Date2002-05-01
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Range Extent Comments
Extreme southern New Mexico (Eddy County) and central and western Texas (north to Collin County) south through eastern and southern Mexico through the Yucatan peninsula, Belize, northern Guatemala to northeastern Nicaragua. Introduced and well established at numerous sites in the Imperial Valley of California, along the lower Colorado River from at least one site along the Baja California Norte-Sonora border to a point north of Yuma and south of Blythe (see Rorabaugh et al. 2002), and east 265 km along the Gila River, to approximately Buckeye, Maricopa County, replacing native R. yavapaiensis (Platz et al. 1990, Clarkson and Rorabauch 1989, Platz 1991). Elevation 0 - 1,650 m.
Threat Impact Comments
None
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Along streams and rivers, springs, stock ponds, backwaters, canals, drainage ditches, and arroyo pools in grassland, shrubland, savanna, desert, and woodland areas; chiefly a stream dweller. Utilizes both temporary and permanent water. Eggs and larvae develop in flowing or nonflowing water (mostly the former). Where introduced, uses mainly ditches, canals, irrigation sumps and ponds, and highly modified rivers (Rorabaugh et al. 2002).

Reproduction

Lays eggs after rains at almost any time of year, mostly March-May and August-November in Texas (populations sympatric with other leopard frog species may breed only during the late-summer to early winter period; Hillis 1981).
Palustrine Habitats
TEMPORARY POOLRiparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
TexasS5Yes
New MexicoS3Yes
ArizonaSNANo
CaliforniaSNANo
Roadless Areas (2)
New Mexico (2)
AreaForestAcres
Last Chance CanyonLincoln National Forest8,934
South Guadalupe MountainsLincoln National Forest20,930
References (31)
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  2. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  3. Blackburn, L., P. Nanjappa, and M. J. Lannoo. 2001. An Atlas of the Distribution of U.S. Amphibians. Copyright, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA.
  4. Campbell, J. A. 1998. Amphibians and reptiles of northern Guatemala, the Yucatan, and Belize. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. xix + 380 pp.
  5. Che, J., J. Pang, E. M. Zhao, M. Matsui, and Y. P. Zhang. 2007. Phylogenetic relationships of the Chinese brown frogs (genus <i>Rana</i>) inferred from partial mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA gene sequences. Zoological Science 24(1):71-80.
  6. Clarkson, R. W., and J. C. Rorabauch. 1989. Status of leopard frogs (<i>Rana pipiens</i> complex: Ranidae) in Arizona and southeastern California. Southwest. Nat. 34:531-538.
  7. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  8. Degenhardt, W. G., C. W. Painter, and A. H. Price. 1996. Amphibians and reptiles of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. xix + 431 pp.
  9. Dixon, J. R. 2000. Amphibians and reptiles of Texas. Second edition. Texas A & M University Press, College Station. 421 pp.
  10. Dubois, A., A. Ohler, and R. A. Pyron. 2021. New concepts and methods for phylogenetic taxonomy and nomenclature in zoology, exemplified by a new ranked cladonomy of recent amphibians (Lissamphibia). Megataxa 5:1-738.
  11. Duellman, W. E. 1999. Patterns of distribution of amphibians: a global perspective. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. viii + 633 pp.
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