River Frog
Rana heckscheri
(click images to enlarge)

Appearance: The River Frog is very large, reaching body lengths in excess of five inches. Dorsolateral folds are absent or obscure.  The dorsum is generally dark brown with dark markings, and the venter is dark with white mottling. The lips are dark with light spots.  Behaviorally, this frog is often described as much less secretive than other large frogs and is easily approached and observed.

Habits and Habitat: The River Frog can be found in swampy areas of streams, rivers, and ponds, where it is primarily nocturnal.  The very large, dark tadpoles are sometimes seen in large schools in these habitats.

Vocalization: The River Frog's call is a low snore or grunt, similar to that of the Gopher Frog, but of a slightly longer duration.

Reproduction/Egg Description: River Frogs are warm weather breeders, calling and breeding in the spring and summer months.  Eggs are laid in a flattened mass just beneath the water's surface, attached to aquatic vegetation.

Distribution and Abundance: The River Frog is restricted to the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States excluding the southern half of the Florida panhandle.

SE ARMI Index Sites: Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.