A Pickerel Frog

August 17, 2025

My smallish, man-made pond attracts many creatures, including several different species of turtles and frogs. This one is a Pickerel Frog (Lithobates palustris). I love the pattern it’s wearing.

The Pickerel Frog is said to be medium in size, averaging 1.75″ to 3″ in length. Its body is gray or tan, and there are dark brown or black spots in two rows down its back. There are also dark brown or black stripes on its legs, and each side has another row of spots of irregular shape and size.

The Pickerel Frog is the only poisonous frog native to the United States. Its skin creates secretions that are troublesome to humans and can cause death to small animals. So if you are inclined to pick up frogs, don’t pick up a Pickerel Frog!

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

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