Pickeral frog. Concealed surfaces of hind legs are bright yellow or orange in color. They occur throughout eastern Ohio, and typically feed on small insects and other invertebrates. Pickerel frog, (Rana palustris), dark-spotted frog (family Ranidae), found in eastern North America, usually in such areas as meadows, cool streams, and sphagnum bogs. All about the Pickerel Frog - characteristics, life expectancy, distribution, behavior, diet, predators, interesting facts, and much more. They may also travel far from water. Adults are often seen along small streams. Pickerel frogs occur throughout most of the state, except for some tidewater areas of the outer Coastal Plain. The pickerel frog (Lithobates palustris, formerly Rana palustris) is a small North American frog, [1][3] characterized by the appearance of seemingly "hand-drawn" squares on its dorsal surface. The pickerel frog (Lithobates palustris, formerly Rana palustris) is a small North American frog, [1][3] characterized by the appearance of seemingly "hand-drawn" squares on its dorsal surface. Unlike the random splotches on most frogs, these spots form a tidy pattern—earning them the nickname “the orderly frog” among herpetologists. . Basic facts about Pickerel frog: lifespan, distribution and habitat map, lifestyle and social behavior, mating habits, diet and nutrition, population size and status. During mating season they may be found in temporary woodland and pasture ponds or pools, the border of streams, rivers, and lakes. Historical versus Current Distribution - Pickerel Frogs (Lithobates palustris) are distributed from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, west through southern Québec and Ontario, to Michigan, Wisconsin, and extreme southeastern Minnesota. Pickerel frogs favor the cool, clear waters of streams opposed to the warm, sluggish waters of ponds and lakes. Jul 28, 2025 · Pickerel frogs stand out with their neat rows of dark, rectangular spots running along a warm tan or olive back. Blotches are typically uneven and may have irregular or curved sides, but are distinctly not circular. Mar 12, 2019 · Skin smooth and tan-ish in color, with two rows of dark square-ish blotches down back and similar blotches on the sides. Moderate-sized species. Pickerel frogs breed from Febuary to early April. They are most common in the Mountains and Piedmont. Deciduous and mixed deciduous coniferous forest, wooded ravines, low-lying open fields, and meadows. jijcm wvxfzon pjqumy qxboqkdv xbcc zfindhw nmmka bcxfh faitow vdh