Pickerel Frog

Adults: The Pickerel Frog is a medium-sized frog with a light brown, tan, gray, or olive background color, sometimes with an bronze or yellowish-green cast. The dark spots on the dorsal surface are angular (squarish) rather than round, often outlined in black, and arranged in two irregular rows between the light-colored dorsolateral folds. There is a bright yellow, orange, or gold wash on the inner thigh. Dorsolateral folds are present and unbroken.

Habitat: Ponds, creeks, and marshes in northern Illinois; in central and western parts of the state found in cold springs and rocky, high-gradient streams (often in cave streams along the Mississippi river bluffs). Avoids warm sluggish water.

Reproduction: Breeding takes place in March through May in clear, quiet water of bogs, lakes, and oxbows. Eggs are laid in globular clusters attached to submerged vegetation. The tadpoles transform in June.

Voice: A short, low-pitched snore, similar to the northern leopard frog's call but shorter and with less carrying power.