The epithet berlandieri is in honor of the naturalist Jean Louis Berlandier, who worked for the Mexican government on one of the first biological surveys of Texas.

They are usually tan, brown, or pale green in color, with distinctive black spotting with prominent light-colored ridges down either side of their backs.

Recent research has placed Rio Grande leopard frogs in the Scurrilirana species group[2][6] of the subgenus Pantherana.

It is believed to be contributing to the population reduction of the lowland leopard frog (Lithobates yavapaiensis), which is native to the region.

This expansion of range is the primary factor in the Rio Grande leopard frog being classified as least concern, by the IUCN Red List.