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Pacific Tree Frog
Hyla regilla
Description: The Pacific Tree Frog is common in B.C. They are quite small, 50 millimetres long and their colour may vary from grey or tan to bright emerald green. These frogs have a conspicuous "mask" or stripe extending from
the nostrils through the eye to the shoulder. They are often marked with dark patches or stripes on the back, and are usually pale cream underneath. Their legs are long and slender; their toes have round pads which help the frog grip and climb, and there is very little webbing between the toes, making them look quite long. Females are slightly larger than males, a feature common to most frogs.
Ecology: My son caught this one in the ditch outside our old house in West Sechelt, he always let them go in the same area they were found. Outside the breeding season, (early spring), they frequent woodlands, meadows, pastures, and even urban areas, often far from water. During the breeding season, the Pacific Tree Frog makes its way to shallow wetlands where there is a lot of plant cover. Often these wetlands are ephemeral, drying up by midsummer.
Range: In British Columbia, the Pacific Tree Frog is found in the southern mainland and on Vancouver Island. It has been introduced to the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii). Pacific Tree Frogs are found southward along the U.S. west coast as far as Mexico, but are apparently not found east of the Rocky Mountains.
Notes: Adult Pacific Tree Frogs eat spiders and a wide variety of insects, which they hunt while climbing about on plants. Tadpoles graze on algae. The Pacific Tree Frog can rapidly change colour from light to dark to match its background. Status: Common, not considered a conservation concern.
Red-Legged Frog
Rana Aurora
Description: A medium to large sized brown or reddish frog, with smooth skin marked by small "freckles." Male frogs reach about 70 millimetres in length and females can be larger - about 100 mm long. A long, slim frog with long, slender hind legs. The most distinctive trait of these frogs, and the one that gave them their name, is the red colouring of the underside of their hind legs. This is sometimes described as being translucent - as though you are looking right through the skin to see the red muscle underneath.
The eyes are gold, oriented to the sides, and appear mostly covered by the eyelids when the frog is viewed from above. This can help distinguish the Red-legged Frog from the Columbia or Oregon Spotted Frogs, whose eyes are oriented upwards.
Ecology: Red-legged Frogs enjoy the cool temperatures of the coastal forests. They live in moist forests and wetlands with trees, breeding in shallow ponds, marshes or slow streams that are well shaded. Adult frogs spend much of their time on land, sometimes straying quite a distance from the water if the weather is damp. They will often take shelter under logs or other debris to stay cool and damp.
Range: This frog has a limited range in B.C., being found only in the southwestern corner of the province, on Vancouver Island, and on some of the smaller coastal islands. The range extends southward as far as California.
Notes: They feed on insects and other small invertebrates, which they hunt along the edges of streams and ponds. Tadpoles graze on algae.
Status: Red-legged Frogs have declined in B.C., possibly due to habitat loss from logging and competition from introduced Green Frogs and Bullfrogs. They are currently listed as Vulnerable by COSEWIC and they are on the Provincial Blue List. This one was found in a lowland coastal rainforest in Chapman Creek, BC.
Rough-Skinned Newt
Taricha granulosa
Description: A 5-9cm long newt with dark lower eyelids distinguishing it from its similar southern cousin the California Newt. Back side is dark brown, black or sometimes tan, with a reddish, yellow or orange belly below. Its eyes are relatively small and has a v-shaped tooth arrangement. The breeding male has smooth brown skin with a flattened tail and an enlarged vent.
Ecology: Our most aquatic newt found in humid coasts from Alaska to California, mostly west of the Cascade Mountains. Breeds in ponds, reservoirs and slow moving streams, also frequents grasslands and forests; found from sea level to medium-high elevations.
Notes: This breeding male was found in a dense old growth forest remnant patch next to Carlson Lake at middle elevation, summer 2002.
The frog does not drink up the pond in which it lives. - Chinese Proverb
Amphibians of BC
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100% of all proceeds are used to support Biodiversity research in BC.
100% of all proceeds are used to support Biodiversity research in BC.
