Egg counts of Southern Leopard Frog, Lithobates sphenocephalus, egg masses from southern Louisiana, USA

Abstract

Southern Leopard Frogs, Lithobates sphenocephalus (Cope, 1889), lay eggs year-round in their southern range, including Louisiana, but their peak breeding season is the cooler months from late fall through early spring (Mount, 1975; Caldwell, 1986; Dundee and Rossman, 1989). Double-enveloped eggs in globular masses are typically deposited in shallow water, but deeper waters are used when temperatures are warmer (Dodd, 2013). Egg masses are often attached to vegetation when present but may also lie free on the substrate (Dundee and Rossman, 1989; Dodd, 2013). Egg masses may be deposited singly, but are often found communally, with hundreds of egg masses in a small area (Dundee and Rossman, 1989; Trauth, 1989). Communal laying in Southern Leopard Frogs may be an adaptative response to cold temperatures (Caldwell, 1986), as has been noted in congeners (Waldman and Ryan, 1983).