Pickerel Frog, KDs

I was dropping my granddaughter off at my daughter's in the afternoon, and while I was there, I figured I'd spend some time camped out by her Gooseneck Loosestrife flowers, which I knew to be in full bloom and hopefully attracting hummingbird moths. Strangely, the blossom spikes were mothless, but they were still busy way-stations for a variety of other insects, particularly wasps, bees, butterflies, and flower flies. In addition, we found this frog. I was pretty sure it was a large Pickerel Frog, but my grandson was hoping it was a Leopard Frog, an increasingly rare find. I didn't think so, but I couldn't say why with any precision. So, once home and armed with the image, I visited both amphibian guides and frog websites to reacquaint my failing brain with the right diagnostics. Turns out that the yellow-orange on the inside of the legs and the belly is good enough for the definitive Pickerel. Leopards, besides being unlikely around here, are also white. Case closed.