One of the coolest amphibians around has to be the Southern Leopard Frog.

Awesome to look at for its bright, spotted skin, long, pointy face and quick, powerful jump, the leopard frog is one of the great gems of our region.

Usually sporting a brown and/or green back and leopard-like spots, they are distinguished from other similar species by a small white spot in the center of their eardrum.

Male leopard frogs also boast paired vocal sacs that look surprisingly similar to small balloons on their throat, most obvious as they call out to the gals. They can live an extended life — 8 to 12 years — and in that time, they can grow to a mighty size.

Because they are able to stand more salt content in water than other amphibian species, leopard frogs tend to inhabit brackish marshes along the East Coast, but are just as happy to live far from permanent water around the summer rainy season when there is plenty of moisture around.

If you look closely in wooded areas, especially near streams here in Mecklenburg County, you may see some eyes poking out of fallen leaf litter, and those eyes may belong to one of these awesome amphibians. Should you stay perfectly still and simply observe one in its habitat, you may very well get the chance to watch it call. The call is normally a series of guttural croaks followed by a chuckling trill, very distinguishable from other calls and something tremendous to hear.

If you can’t seem to find any of these guys out in the wild, visit Discovery Place Nature to see two on display in Creature Cavern. Be sure to put on your nature eyes — just like in the wild, these buggers tend to burrow in the moss and only peek out sheepishly at all the human faces peering into their home.