{{Short description|Species of amphibian}} {{Speciesbox | name = Lenca leopard frog | image = | image_caption = | status = EN | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group |date=2020 |title=''Lithobates lenca'' |volume=2020 |article-number=e.T143844904A176621696 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T143844904A176621696.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref> | taxon = Lithobates lenca | authority = (Luque-Montes et al., 2018) | synonyms = ''Rana lenca'' <small> Luque-Montes et al. 2018</small> }}

The '''Lenca leopard frog''' ('''''Lithobates lenca''''') is a species of true frog found in the Chortis Highlands of southwestern Honduras at altitudes of 1560 to 2080 m.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Luque-Montes, Austin, Weinfurther, Wilson, Hofmann, Townsend|first=Ileana, James D., Kayla D., Larry David, Erich P., Josiah H.|date=4 January 2018|title=An integrative assessment of the taxonomic status of putative hybrid leopard frogs (Anura: Ranidae) from the Chortís Highlands of Central America, with description of a new species|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322268672|journal=Systematics and Biodiversity|volume=16|issue=4|pages=340–356|doi=10.1080/14772000.2017.1415232|s2cid=90564522|via=ResearchGate}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Lithobates lenca (Luque-Montes, Austin, Weinfurther, Wilson, Hofmann, and Townsend, 2018)|url=https://amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org/Amphibia/Anura/Ranidae/Lithobates/Lithobates-lenca|website=Amphibian Species of the World 6.0, an Online Reference}}</ref> This frog was long thought to be a hybrid between the two lowland species ''Lithobates brownorum'' and ''Lithobates forreri'' until 2018 when DNA tests proved the highland leopard frogs to be a distinct species. They are smaller in size but have larger heads than the two lowland species, with males growing between 46.6–64.3&nbsp;mm (1.83–2.53&nbsp;in) while females grow between 43.7–76.3&nbsp;mm (1.72–3&nbsp;in).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bauwens|first=Joe|date=2 March 2018|title=Rana lenca: A new species of Leopard Frog from the central Honduran highlands|url=http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.com/2018/03/rana-lenca-new-species-of-leopard-frog.html|website=Sciency Thoughts}}</ref> The Lenca leopard frog is named after the Lenca people, who inhabit the same mountainous region as the frog.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=15 January 2018|title=[Herpetology • 2018] Rana lenca • An Integrative Assessment of the Taxonomic Status of Putative Hybrid Leopard Frogs (Anura: Ranidae) from the Chortís Highlands of Central America, with Description of A New Species|url=http://novataxa.blogspot.com/2018/01/rana-lenca.html|website=Species New to Science}}</ref>

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Category:Lithobates Category:True frogs Category:Amphibians described in 2018 Category:Central American montane forests