Leopard Frogs!

   

   I've spent a lot of time this year looking for Leopard Frogs. I've taken a special trip to Concord, MA in late June. Even more fun, but still unproductive, my friends Charles, Louise, and I staked out a spot in Middletown that they historically lived. Today we found the motherload. 

   I'd like to say that Leopard Frogs along with their cousins Pickerel Frogs are stupidly named. In nature, the fish Chain Pickerel is green as are all members of the pike family. Also, as we know Leopards are brown or at least brownish. However, to make life confusing, Pickerel Frogs are brown and Northern Leopard Frogs are usually green (usually). I can only assume Leopard Frogs were named first and when the scientist saw the spots he named them after leopards. This unfortunate fact makes me have to pause and think every time  I mention either species.

   Over the last year of herping I've seen Pickerel Frogs on many trips. Though the most I've ever seen at one time is five, I've probably seen them on over a dozen herping adventures. On the other hand, over the course of my life I've seen two Leopard Frogs. One of them was near the baseball field I played Little League when I was about twelve and the other was along the Hudson River when we visited Saratoga National Battlefield. I forget about both of these encounters and have mistakenly told multiple people that Northern Leopard Frogs would be a lifer. Ironically, I have seen a Southern Leopard Frog at a water spicket at a campground in North Carolina. 

   

   Today Laurie and I went to Concord to enjoy ranger programs at Minuteman National Historical Park. Going to the national wildlife refuge to kill forty five minutes was really an afterthought. It may been the best afterthought of my life. The chalkboard had a list of sightings one of them being "Spotted Leopard Frog" . Though the name was wrong, it did peak my interest that maybe, just maybe, we'd see a Leopard Frog.

   It didn't take long to find out. We crossed a little bridge over some flood water and I walked to a patch of grass on the other side. I startled three frogs in one step. Laurie also startled a frog. All four hopped into the weeds (three feet high Goldenrod, and other impenetrable brush). I didn't get a look at any of mine, but Laurie said hers looked green.

   Up the path we ran across a couple more jumping frogs. We identified them as Leopard Frogs!!! I was pumped and tried to catch them. They were so fast and can easily jump four or five feet. I missed them. Also, I forgot to get a photo before I tried to catch them! Dumbass.

   Luckily, I had a lot of opportunities. They were everywhere. The next frog that we found, Laurie smartly handed my camera back to me and I took some decent proof photos. Then I tried to catch them and missed again. I missed multiple more frogs multiple more times.

   After a half dozen unsuccessful attempts to catch a Leopard Frog we came across a small grassy patch along the trail as it came to a T intersection. The area was 20x20 feet. There were multiple frogs in the grass. I cornered one and he hopped a few times but I kept it out of the tall weeds. I could tell it tired after a few big hops. It got under some grass and as I figured out, it couldn't see me. I caught it and gently picked it up. We took some photos and we put it back down. In two hops it was at the waters edge. I caught one more frog and took some more photos but after that, despite wanting to catch every frog I saw, I left the rest alone.

 

 Since I didn't want to exaggerate this incredible day I asked Laurie how many Leopard Frogs we saw, we came up with the same number, somewhere around thirty! We also saw two huge Northern Water Snakes, a Garter Snake, and one Green Frog. Today was the most exciting day I've had herping in Massachusetts. We had so much fun. I'm still on an adrenaline high!