|
 |
 |
 |
|
Adult, Lane County, Oregon
|
|
 |
 |
 |
Adult, Klickitat County, Washington |
Adult male, Thurston County, Washington. © Gary Nafis. Specimen courtesy of Kelly McAllister, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife |
Adult, Lane County, Oregon |
 |
 |
 |
|
Adult underside, Lane County, Oregon |
Groin area, Lane County, Oregon |
 |
 |
 |
Adult, Lane County, Oregon |
Juvenile, Lane County, Oregon |
Newly-laid eggs, Klickitat County, Washington. © Gary Nafis. Courtesy of Marc Hayes |
 |
 |
 |
|
Possible former habitat, east side of Warner Mountains near a museum record locality for this frog. |
Habitat during breeding season in March, 1800 ft., Klickitat County, Washington.
|
More pictures of this frog and its natural habitat in Washington and Oregon are available on our
Northwest Herps page.
|
|
Description |
| Size |
| Adults are 1 3/4 - 4 inches long from snout to vent (4.4 - 10.1 cm). Females are larger, males grow up to 3 in. long (7.5 cm). |
| Appearance |
Brown, tan, olive green, or reddish above with small to large irregular black spots on the back, sides, and legs, usually with indistinct edges and light centers. The face mask is dull or absent. There is a light jaw stripe. Reddish below, on the sides, and underneath the legs. The reddish color appears to be superficially painted on the surface (compared to Rana aurora.) The groin is faintly mottled, or unmottled and greyish. The hind legs are short. Eyes are turned slightly upward. Distinct dorsolateral folds.
Tadpoles are brown, with a light belly and grow to 1 3/4 in. long. (4.3 cm.) |
| Voice (Listen) |
| A weak series of rapid low clicks. Males call during the day while floating on the surface and underwater. |
| Behavior |
Our most aquatic native frog. Fairly sluggish. When frightened, swims a short distance and hides, or swims to the
bottom to hide. |
| Diet |
| Diet most likely consists of a wide variety of invertebrates. Typical of most frogs, the prey is located by vision, then a large sticky tongue is used to catch the prey and bring it into the mouth to eat. |
| Reproduction |
(Very little is known about the specific habits of the California populations of R. pretiosa.) At sites in Oregon and Washington, Mating and egg-laying occurs in water, beginning as soon as snow melts or the temperature warms up sufficiently, from February to early summer.
Fertilization is external. Adults breed in shallow water beside ponds or streams, or in flooded meadows. Eggs are laid on top of each other in large masses which are only partly submerged, floating to the surface as they mature. Tadpoles transform during their first summer. Transformed froglets are around 3/4 in. long (1.6 - 2/3 cm.) |
| Range |
Historically, ranged from extreme southwest British Columbia south through Washington and Oregon, to extreme northeast
California, where it is known from only a few scattered localities including Pine Creek, S. Fork Pitt River near Alturas, Warner Mtns., and the southwest side of Lower Klamath Lake. From near sea level to 5,000 ft. (1,524 m.) |
| Habitat |
"The spotted frog was historically recorded only from scattered localities in the extreme northeastern part of California below 1,372 m (4,500 ft), where it was apparently restricted to large marshy areas filled by warmwater (more than 20°C [68°F]) springs." M. Jennings
In other areas, R. pretiosa inhabits aquatic environments mostly in mixed coniferous forests. Found near cool, quiet, permanent water sources; slow streams that meander through meadows, sluggish streams and rivers, marshes, springs, pools, edges of small lakes, and ponds. |
| Taxonomic Notes |
| R. pretiosa and R. luteiventris were considered one species until 1996 when they were split into two species, based on genetic differences, but not morphological differences. |
| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
Considered extirpated in California, but undiscovered isolated populations may still remain in the Warner Mountains,
Modoc County. Only one frog has been recorded in the last 15 years; a juvenile found in Cedarville, Modoc County, and this frog could actually be the species Rana luteiventris. (Marc Hayes, personal communication).
Rana pretiosa has undergone a significant decline in the last 50 years throughout its range. Invasive species such as bullfrogs and non-native fishes, and habitat destruction such as degradation of wetlands, have been mentioned as possible reasons for the decline. |
|
|
Taxonomy |
| Family |
Ranidae |
True Frogs |
| Genus |
Rana |
True Frogs |
| Species |
pretiosa |
Oregon Spotted Frog
|
|
Original Description |
Baird and Girard, 1853 - Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 6, p. 378
from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
|
|
Meaning of the Scientific Name |
Rana - Frog - "Rana" probably mimics how the Romans heard their call.
pretiosa - Latin - to be prized or worth the effort - may refer to vivid adult coloration.
from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
|
|
Alternate Names |
None
|
|
Related or Similar California Frogs |
Rana draytonii
Rana aurora
Rana boylii
Rana cascadae
Rana pipiens
Rana catesbeiana
Rana yavapaiensis
Rana muscosa
|
|
More Information and References |
Natureserve Explorer
California Dept. of Fish and Game
AmphibiaWeb
Center for Bilogical Diversity
Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Behler, John L., & F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.
Corkran, Charlotte & Chris Thoms. Amphibians of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing, 1996.
Jones, Lawrence L. C. , William P. Leonard, Deanna H. Olson, editors. Amphibians of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle Audubon Society, 2005.
Leonard et. al. Amphibians of Washington and Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society, 1993.
Nussbaum, R. A., E. D. Brodie Jr., and R. M. Storm. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Pacific Northwest. Moscow, Idaho: University Press of Idaho, 1983.
Davidson, Carlos. Booklet to the CD Frog and Toad Calls of the Pacific Coast - Vanishing Voices. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 1995.
|
|
|
The following status listings come from the Special Animals List which is published several times each year by the California Department of Fish and Game.
|
Organization
|
Status Listing
|
| U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) |
FC |
Candidate |
| California Endangered Species Act (CESA) |
None |
|
| California Department of Fish and Game |
DFG:SSC |
California Species of Special Concern |
| Bureau of Land Management |
None |
|
| USDA Forest Service |
USFS:S |
Sensitive |
| Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks |
G2 |
Imperiled |
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List
|
IUCN:VU |
Vulnerable |
|
|
