Columbia spotted frog

A researcher carefully handles a Columbia spotted frog

The Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris) is yellow listed (not at risk) in British Columbia. Often heard only during the breeding season, its call consists of a weak series of 6-9 clucking noises, like clicking your tongue against the roof of your mouth.

Map

Biodiversity Interactive Map - Columbia Spotted Frog

Range

• North America: Extreme southeast Alaska, southwest Yukon , northern British Columbia, and western Alberta south through Washington east of the Cascades, eastern Oregon, Idaho, and western Montana to Nevada, southwest Idaho (disjunct), Utah (disjunct, Wasatch Mountains and west desert), and western and north-central (disjunct) Wyoming.   
• B.C.: east of the Coast Mountains except the Peace River district
• Columbia Basin: throughout

Habitat

Streams, lakes, wetland, riparian.

Highly aquatic; rarely found far from permanent quiet water; usually occurs at the grass/sedge margin of streams, lakes, ponds, springs, and marshes

Reproduction

• Mating occurs in shallow water in spring soon after the ice melts
• Egg mass contains up to 1500 eggs! Quite often egg masses are clumped and up to 20 egg masses may be laid on top of each other
• Eggs hatch in 3-21 days
• Metamorphosis usually occurs by fall but occasionally in the north tadpoles may overwinter and metamorphose the following spring.

Listing and Date

Threats to Species

• Habitat loss and degradation
• Disease, pollution and climate change

Select Reports

• 2009 Amphibian Survey Columbia Forest District
• 2008 West Kootenay Amphibian Survey
• An Amphibian Inventory of the East Kootenay

For more information on this species, visit The BC Species and Ecosystem Explorer and enter “columbia spotted frog” in the Species Name field.