Frog of medium size, up to 110 mm long. The coloration is very variable, although it is usually green, with black spots. It usually has a clear vertebral line. The tympanum is very conspicuous and the dorsolateral folds are moderately developed. The fingers of the hind limbs are joined by widely developed interdigital membranes. It is distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula and southern France. It has been introduced in the Balearic and Canary Islands. Strictly aquatic species. It occupies all types of water bodies, although it is mainly present in permanent environments. It consumes mainly invertebrates, Diptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera stand out for their frequency of occurrence and abundance. Occasionally it consumes vertebrates, including specimens of the species itself. The reproductive period is mainly from April to July. Reproduction occurs mainly in permanent bodies of water. Adults negatively select as breeding habitats environments with little cover of riparian vegetation. During the breeding season females can spawn an average number of 2,309 eggs. The duration of larval development is usually two months. Males reach sexual maturity with two years. It shares habitat with numerous species of land-dwelling amphibians when they come to water bodies to breed. When they detect the proximity of a predator, flight to water is one of the main defense mechanisms. Predators include amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals and crustaceans. Two different song sounds emitted by males have been linked to attracting females and maintaining small territories within the body of water they occupy. Adults often sunbathe around bodies of water, where they also hunt.