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Pickerel Frog 
Lithobates palustris
 
Description: Size: 1.7-3 inches, (record 3.5 inches.)  One of Tennessee's most beautiful frogs, with an array of rectangular spots on its bronze to tan back.  A bright patch of apricot orange flash color occurs directly in front of the groin.  Pickerel Frogs lack the white spot in the tympanum (eardrum) that Southern Leopard Frogs have, and this helps distinguish the two species.  Also, the spots on a Southern Leopard Frog are not rectangular.

Voice: Call is a drawn-out, descending snore, "yeeeeeoooow."  We have heard them from late March through April, with a peak in early April. 

Habitat: Pickerel Frogs prefer cool water and can be found in creeks, springs, ponds and reservoirs.  They can sometimes be found in the twilight areas of caves.

Range: Occurs across most of the state but is not common in the Coastal Plain of west Tennessee.