The northern sheep frog (Hypopachus variolosus) is native to Central America, Mexico, and extreme south Texas, United States.

The sheep frog inhabits semiarid thornscrub, savannas, pasturelands, and open woodlands, as well as more humid, moist forest in the canyons, basins, foothills, and lower elevations of mountains slopes.

The dorsal color ranges from tan, to reddish-tan, to various shades of brown with irregular black flecks or spots, which may be extensive on some individuals, or absent on others.

An orange, red, or yellowish mid-dorsal stripe, running from the snout to the vent is present on some specimens, but may by absent, vague, or fragmented on others.

[5] The sheep frog ranges through parts of Central America and Mexico, generally in lower elevation coastal areas below 1600 m, reaching its northernmost limit in far south Texas, US.

[14][15][16][5][17][18] Conversely, relatively informal records available on internet web sites suggest the range extents significantly further into interior regions of southern Mexico than previously known.

Sheep frogs are secretive and largely fossorial, known to live in the cavities of hollowed out root systems of trees and shrubs, mammal burrows, and pack rat nest.

[18] It emerges after heavy rains to breed and occasionally forage at night, and may be found under rocks, logs and fallen palm trees, and other surface debris while soils remain wet.

The tadpoles are brownish with faint markings on the belly, and some individuals exhibit a mid-dorsal stripe, growing up to 2.7-3.5 cm in total length.