Pickerel Frog

Scientific Name: Lithobates palustri
Size: 1.25-3 inches (4.4-7.5 cm) in length
PA Status: Abundant

Habitat Type:
Deciduous and mixed deciduous coniferous forest, wooded ravines, low-lying open fields, and meadows. During mating season they may be found in temporary woodland and pasture ponds or pools, the border of streams, rivers, and lakes.

Colorations:

The dorsal color is a variable shade of brown or tan with two rows of dark brown or black squarish blotches between the dorsolateral folds of the back.
The head may have a single dark blotch.
The sides of the body have one or two rows of irregular dark blotches.
The dorsal surface of the limbs are patterned with dark crossbars
The head has a fine light line on each side that runs from the nares and below and behind then tympanum.
The anterior ventral surface is white and the chin is mottled.
The posterior ventral surface and the inner thighs are yellow.

Characteristics:

The body is moderately build.
The head is somewhat broad with a rounded to pointed snout.
The eyes are large and are not positioned high on the head.
The tympanum is smaller than the eyes.
The forelegs are strong with short blunt toes that have no webbing.
The hind legs are long and muscular with long webbed toes.
The dorsal folds are well-developed and uninterrupted.
The skin between the dorsal folds is smooth and may have short longitudinal ridges near the posterior of the back.
The ventral skin is smooth with the posterior of the thighs being granular

Tadpole coloration and characteristics: