Atlantic Coast leopard frog
| Atlantic Coast leopard frog | |
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Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Ranidae |
| Genus: | Lithobates |
| Species: | L. kauffeldi |
| Binomial name | |
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Lithobates kauffeldi (Feinberg et al., 2014) |
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| Known (purple) and potential (yellow) range of R. kauffeldi | |
| Synonyms | |
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Lithobates kauffeldi (Feinberg et al., 2014) |
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Lithobates kauffeldi (Feinberg et al., 2014)
The Atlantic Coast leopard frog (Lithobates kauffeldi; synonim: Rana kauffeldi) is a species of amphibian that is endemic to the United States. As a member of the genus Rana, it is classified as a true frog, with typical smooth skin and a narrow waist. Its range stretches along the northern part of Eastern Seaboard, from Connecticut to North Carolina. The species takes its common name from the speckles on its legs and back reminiscent of a leopard pattern.
It is one of several species classified as leopard frogs, distinguished as unique through its mating call, genetic differences, habitat, and morphological distinctions.
The Atlantic Coast leopard frog is one of several species of leopard frogs. Its species name, kauffeldi, is derived from the name of Staten Island herpetologist Carl Frederick Kauffeld, who in 1936 proposed that there could be a third species of leopard frog inhabiting the New York Tri-State Area specifically Staten Island. The author team that described the species in 2014 christened it after Kauffeld in honor of him.
R. kauffeldi is found along the Northeastern Coast of the United States from central Connecticut to northeastern North Carolina. The north-south range is approximately 780 km long, and the width is about 100 km from the Atlantic shoreline inward. The range narrows as it progressed southward, mostly along the I-95 corridor. The species is thought to inhabit ten states, but the entirety of its distribution and range is not known.
The Atlantic Coast leopard frog is thought to be sympatric with both the Northern leopard frog and the Southern leopard frog in the northern and southern parts of its range, respectively. For a time the species remained undiscovered because of its similarity to both of the aforementioned in physical appearance and habitat.
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Wikipedia