Columbia Spotted Frog
Encyclopedia
The Columbia Spotted Frog, Rana luteiventris, is a North America
n species of frog
. It is green to brown in color with spots on the dorsal surface
. The belly and upper lip are white in color. Individuals can be distinguished from other Rana
species by their shorter back legs, narrow snout and upturned eyes. Since they spend most of their time in the water, they also have more webbing in their hind feet than similar species. Although unthreatened, this animal has been studied as a model species for the effects of habitat fragmentation
.
is a genus of frogs. Some common species associated with this genus are the Cascades Frog
, Foothill Yellow-legged Frog
, and the Moor Frog
. Frogs of this genus are found throughout much of the world including Europe, Asia, North America, Central America, and South America.
genus. It varies from a rough texture to a smooth texture that couple with small folds of skin along their backs. This frog inhibits a unique feature regarding its color. It has a light-colored strip that runs along the upper lip. The ventral sides of the frog are usually colored either pink or yellow but only in the adult form.
This frog is well-noted by a few of its physical characteristics as well. The frog inhibits a long, narrow snout and upturned eyes. The spotted frog is known as a very aquatic amphibian
because the webbing on its feet extends all the way to the end of its longest toe. When comparing this frog to others of the same size, such as the Northern Leopard frog
, it tends to have shorter hind legs.
are brownish-green in color. This color runs dorsally along the tadpole. Gold spots are also intermittent throughout this coloring. The tadpoles have upturned eyes that are inset. They usually reach around 3.1 inches (80 mm) in length before beginning through journey to adulthood.
. These frogs can be found from Alaska
and parts of British Columbia
to Washington, Idaho
, and parts of Wyoming
, Nevada
, and Utah
.
. This means that their habitats are found generally near permanent bodies of water, which can include lakes, ponds, slow-moving streams
, and marshes. The Spotted Frogs were found to need specific habitat
characteristics within the prior-listed broader habitat characteristics. Adult spotted frogs inhabit mostly seasonally-flooded sites. This means that these frogs are more likely to be found at sites where there is a constant water source, but at certain times of the year the source increases exponentially in both the amount and level of water available.
, which means that they need to be in an area with an abundant source of low-growing vegetation
. A large part of this vegetation is usually submerged meaning that there are plants growing under the water or partly under the water. This vegetation includes many forms of algae and other aquatic plants. The Spotted Frog does not usually inhabit areas where there are large amounts of grasses and sagebrush
growing. These plants are not as aquatic
as their algae
cousins. This makes them a bad hiding place for the spotted frog, since the frog is mostly aquatic. This is a primary reason for the habitat to require such low-growing, submerged, aquatic plants. The Columbia Spotted Frog rarely ventures outside of these areas characterized by the above details. However, when it is time for the spotted frog to breed, they have been known to travel outside of these areas.
sounds. This frog has an unusual characteristic of its reproduction. The male frog arrives at the breeding grounds before the female and establishes the oviposition
site before the females become reproductively active. The oviposition is the site at which the eggs will be laid.
site is created, the female then begins to lay her eggs in shallow water. The male then fertilizes the eggs. The egg masses are fairly large in size ranging from zero all the way up to thirteen hundred eggs. The egg masses, once laid, absorb water and become the size of a softball. These eggs are not attached to any type of vegetation
but are left free floating in said permanent water source. Soon after, the eggs hatch into little Columbia Spotted Frog tadpoles.
, the frog will breed during February at sea level. In areas around Utah, the frog will breed around mid-March at an elevation of approximately 1395 m (4,576.8 ft). At areas around that of Wyoming, the frog will reproduce from May through June at approximately an elevation of 2377 m (7,798.6 ft). The female Columbia Spotted Frog will breed yearly at lower elevations and about every two to three years at higher elevations.
s, ant
s, wasp
s, beetle
s, and moth
s. These insects comprise more than fifty percent of the frog's diet. This frog will also eat seemingly unusual animals such as crustacean
s, mollusks
, arthropod
s, and arachnid
s.
In addition to being an insectivore
, the Columbia Spotted Frog will eat such vegetation as algae, organic debris, a variety of plants, and other smaller water-dwelling organisms.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n species of frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
. It is green to brown in color with spots on the dorsal surface
Anatomical terms of location
Standard anatomical terms of location are designations employed in science that deal with the anatomy of animals to avoid ambiguities that might otherwise arise. They are not language-specific, and thus require no translation...
. The belly and upper lip are white in color. Individuals can be distinguished from other Rana
Rana (genus)
Rana is a genus of frogs. Species include such archetypal pond frogs as the common frog of Europe, brown frogs, and the New and Old World true frogs, including the various species of leopard frogs and the American bullfrog. Members of this genus are found through much of Eurasia, North America,...
species by their shorter back legs, narrow snout and upturned eyes. Since they spend most of their time in the water, they also have more webbing in their hind feet than similar species. Although unthreatened, this animal has been studied as a model species for the effects of habitat fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation as the name implies, describes the emergence of discontinuities in an organism's preferred environment , causing population fragmentation...
.
Taxonomy
RanaRana (genus)
Rana is a genus of frogs. Species include such archetypal pond frogs as the common frog of Europe, brown frogs, and the New and Old World true frogs, including the various species of leopard frogs and the American bullfrog. Members of this genus are found through much of Eurasia, North America,...
is a genus of frogs. Some common species associated with this genus are the Cascades Frog
Cascades Frog
The Cascades Frog is a species of frog in the Ranidae family.It is found in western United States and possibly Canada, mainly in the Cascade Range and Olympic Mountains.-Description:-Appearance:...
, Foothill Yellow-legged Frog
Foothill Yellow-legged Frog
The Foothill Yellow-legged Frog is a small-sized frog from the Rana genus in the Ranidae family. This species can be found from northern Oregon, down California’s west coast, and into Baja California, Mexico. Both the Columbia Spotted Frog and the Cascades Frog, also part of the Rana genus, live...
, and the Moor Frog
Moor Frog
The Moor Frog is a slim, reddish-brown, semi-aquatic amphibian native to Europe and Asia. It is a member of the family Ranidae, or "true frogs".-Taxonomy:...
. Frogs of this genus are found throughout much of the world including Europe, Asia, North America, Central America, and South America.
Adult Frog
The Columbia Spotted Frog is a medium sized frog reaching lengths of up to three and a half inches (90 mm). Its color ranges from a dark, olive green to light brown with irregularly-shaped black spots on its back and legs (rendering its name). Its skin texture follows suite with the rest of the RanaRana (genus)
Rana is a genus of frogs. Species include such archetypal pond frogs as the common frog of Europe, brown frogs, and the New and Old World true frogs, including the various species of leopard frogs and the American bullfrog. Members of this genus are found through much of Eurasia, North America,...
genus. It varies from a rough texture to a smooth texture that couple with small folds of skin along their backs. This frog inhibits a unique feature regarding its color. It has a light-colored strip that runs along the upper lip. The ventral sides of the frog are usually colored either pink or yellow but only in the adult form.
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
because the webbing on its feet extends all the way to the end of its longest toe. When comparing this frog to others of the same size, such as the Northern Leopard frog
Leopard frog
Leopard frogs, also called meadow frogs, are the archetypal "grass frogs" of North America, a collection of about 14 species within the true frog genus Rana. They are generally very similar, green with prominent black spotting...
, it tends to have shorter hind legs.
Tadpoles
Columbia Spotted Frog tadpolesTadpoles
Tadpoles are a psychedelic rock band formed in 1990 in New York City by Todd Parker , Michael Kite Audino and Josh Bracken In 1992, Nick Kramer , David Max and Andrew Jackson of the fledgling Manhattan group, Hit, joined the Tadpoles after putting Hit on hiatus.In 1993 Kite and Jackson left the...
are brownish-green in color. This color runs dorsally along the tadpole. Gold spots are also intermittent throughout this coloring. The tadpoles have upturned eyes that are inset. They usually reach around 3.1 inches (80 mm) in length before beginning through journey to adulthood.
Geographical location
The Columbia Spotted Frog is widespread throughout North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. These frogs can be found from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and parts of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to Washington, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, and parts of Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, and Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
Habitat
The Columbia Spotted Frog is, like most other frogs, fairly aquaticAquatic animal
An aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract its oxygen from that dissolved in water through specialised organs called gills, or directly through its skin. Natural environments and the animals that...
. This means that their habitats are found generally near permanent bodies of water, which can include lakes, ponds, slow-moving streams
STREAMS
In computer networking, STREAMS is the native framework in Unix System V for implementing character devices.STREAMS was designed as a modular architecture for implementing full-duplex I/O between kernel or user space processes and device drivers. Its most frequent uses have been in developing...
, and marshes. The Spotted Frogs were found to need specific habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
characteristics within the prior-listed broader habitat characteristics. Adult spotted frogs inhabit mostly seasonally-flooded sites. This means that these frogs are more likely to be found at sites where there is a constant water source, but at certain times of the year the source increases exponentially in both the amount and level of water available.
Vegetation needs
These frogs are a constant victim to predationPredation
In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption...
, which means that they need to be in an area with an abundant source of low-growing vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
. A large part of this vegetation is usually submerged meaning that there are plants growing under the water or partly under the water. This vegetation includes many forms of algae and other aquatic plants. The Spotted Frog does not usually inhabit areas where there are large amounts of grasses and sagebrush
Sagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
growing. These plants are not as aquatic
Aquatic animal
An aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract its oxygen from that dissolved in water through specialised organs called gills, or directly through its skin. Natural environments and the animals that...
as their algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
cousins. This makes them a bad hiding place for the spotted frog, since the frog is mostly aquatic. This is a primary reason for the habitat to require such low-growing, submerged, aquatic plants. The Columbia Spotted Frog rarely ventures outside of these areas characterized by the above details. However, when it is time for the spotted frog to breed, they have been known to travel outside of these areas.
Area
The Columbia Spotted Frog reproduces similarly to other amphibians, but with a few unique details added. Columbia Spotted Frogs need to reproduce in areas where emergent vegetation is present. Two of the favorite types of vegetation for reproducin are reed canary grasses and cattails. The spotted frog reproduces in the same types of areas as it lives- ponds, slow-moving streams, and lakes.Male
The males arrive at the breeding grounds before the females. They then present to the females a chorus (type of song) to try and attract a female for mating. This song ranges from a series of clicks to long, glottalGlottal
Glottal can mean:*related to the glottis.*related to the vocal folds.*glottal consonant.*related to glottalization....
sounds. This frog has an unusual characteristic of its reproduction. The male frog arrives at the breeding grounds before the female and establishes the oviposition
Oviposition
Oviposition is the process of laying eggs by oviparous animals.Some arthropods, for example, lay their eggs with an organ called the ovipositor.Fish , amphibians, reptiles, birds and monetremata also lay eggs....
site before the females become reproductively active. The oviposition is the site at which the eggs will be laid.
Female
Once the ovipositionOviposition
Oviposition is the process of laying eggs by oviparous animals.Some arthropods, for example, lay their eggs with an organ called the ovipositor.Fish , amphibians, reptiles, birds and monetremata also lay eggs....
site is created, the female then begins to lay her eggs in shallow water. The male then fertilizes the eggs. The egg masses are fairly large in size ranging from zero all the way up to thirteen hundred eggs. The egg masses, once laid, absorb water and become the size of a softball. These eggs are not attached to any type of vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
but are left free floating in said permanent water source. Soon after, the eggs hatch into little Columbia Spotted Frog tadpoles.
Breeding times
The Columbia Spotted Frog's breeding schedule depends heavily on its geographical location and the elevation at which it is at currently. In British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, the frog will breed during February at sea level. In areas around Utah, the frog will breed around mid-March at an elevation of approximately 1395 m (4,576.8 ft). At areas around that of Wyoming, the frog will reproduce from May through June at approximately an elevation of 2377 m (7,798.6 ft). The female Columbia Spotted Frog will breed yearly at lower elevations and about every two to three years at higher elevations.
Diet
This frog is opportunistic at best. It will eat a variety of insects including grasshopperGrasshopper
The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...
s, ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s, wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
s, beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s, and moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
s. These insects comprise more than fifty percent of the frog's diet. This frog will also eat seemingly unusual animals such as crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s, mollusks
Mollusca
The Mollusca , common name molluscs or mollusksSpelled mollusks in the USA, see reasons given in Rosenberg's ; for the spelling mollusc see the reasons given by , is a large phylum of invertebrate animals. There are around 85,000 recognized extant species of molluscs. Mollusca is the largest...
, arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
s, and arachnid
Arachnid
Arachnids are a class of joint-legged invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. All arachnids have eight legs, although in some species the front pair may convert to a sensory function. The term is derived from the Greek words , meaning "spider".Almost all extant arachnids are terrestrial...
s.
In addition to being an insectivore
Insectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
, the Columbia Spotted Frog will eat such vegetation as algae, organic debris, a variety of plants, and other smaller water-dwelling organisms.
External links
- Rana luteiventris at CalPhotos
- Rana luteiventris - Columbia Spotted Frog Information Page
- Amphiaweb
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Information and Conservation
- Wyoming Game and Fish Information and Conservation
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Information and Conservation
- Fish and Wildlife Branch- British Columbia Information and Conservation
- http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=exact&CISOOP2=exact&CISOMODE=grid&CISOGRID=thumbnail,A,1;title,A,1;subjec,A,0;common,200,0;none,A,0;20;title,none,none,none,none&CISOBIB=title,A,1,N;identi,A,0,N;common,200,0,N;none,A,0,N;none,A,0,N;20;title,none,none,none,none&CISOTHUMB=20%20%284x5%29;title,none,none,none,none&CISOTITLE=20;title,none,none,none,none&CISOHIERA=20;identi,title,none,none,none&CISOSUPPRESS=0&CISOFIELD1=subjec&CISOROOT=/wss&CISOBOX1=Amphibians&CISOFIELD2=common&CISOBOX2=Columbia+Spotted+FrogColumbia Spotted Frog recordings]