Oregon spotted frog
| Oregon spotted frog | |
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| Species: | R. pretiosa
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| Rana pretiosa | |
The Oregon spotted frog (Rana pretiosa; meaning "precious frog") is a member of frog from the family Ranidae.
Description
The Oregon spotted frog reaches a length of 4 centimetres (1.6 in) to 10 centimetres (3.9 in). Females are slightly larger than males. These frogs range in color from green to reddish-brown and have black spots on the head and back. Rana pretiosa is identifiable by the reddish or salmon on sides and venter and eyes slightly upturned. Its diet includes flies and small fish.[2][citation needed]
Distribution
Oregon Spotted Frogs are found in British Columbia, Washington State and Oregon. They were previously found but have been extirpated in California.[3]
In Oregon, the Oregon spotted frog's current range is Deschutes, Lane and Klamath counties.[4]
In Western Washington, the Oregon Spotted Frogs occur in Thurston County.[5]
Occurrence of Rana Pretiosa within its range is spotty and rare. Suitable habitat consists of shallow extensive wetlands with both seasonal and permanent water. Breeding occurs in early spring in shallow portions of wetlands with sparse or short vegetation. The species is highly aquatic. Potential reasons for its decline include altered hydrology, invasive wetland plants, predation by fish, vegetation succession to shrub or tree (discussed in Watson et al 2000).[6]
Subspecies
- Rana pretiosa luteiventris (Thompson, 1913)[7]
- Rana pretiosa pretiosa (Baird and Girard, 1853)
Conservation status
Recovery program
Several organizations associated with the NW Zoo and Aquarium Alliance[8] are working on recovery projects for the Oregon Spotted Frog.[3] These include Vancouver Aquarium;[9] the Greater Vancouver Zoo;[10] Woodland Park Zoo[11] with Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife[12] and Evergreen State College.[13]
Local school groups are also involved in enhancing habitat for the Oregon spotted frog.[14]
See also
- Columbia Spotted Frog (Rana luteiventris)
References
- ^ Template:IUCN2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is vulnerable
- ^ Peterson
- ^ a b "NW Zoo and Aquariaum Alliance Species Recovery Projects".
- ^ "Endangered Species Fact Sheet: Oregon spotted frog". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
- ^ Kelly R. McAllister and William P. Leonard (July 1997). "Washington State Status Report for the Oregon Spotted Frog". Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
- ^ Watson, James W. (2000.). Ecology of a Remnant Population of Oregon Spotted Frogs (Rana pretiosa) in Thurston County, Washington. WDFW.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ http://www.eol.org/taxa/16979059
- ^ "The NW Zoo & Aquarium Alliance".
- ^ "Vancouver Aquarium recovery project".
- ^ "Greater Vancouver Zoo recovery project".
- ^ "Frog recovery program making headlines".
- ^ "Oregon spotted frog released into the wild to halt population crash".
- ^ Sullivan, Jennifer (2009-07-06). "Researchers stunned by inmates' success raising endangered frogs". The Seattle Times.
- ^ Dodge, John (Sept.30, 2011). "Students aid endangered spotted frog. Wetlands: Program aims to boost numbers of Oregon spotted frog". The Olympian.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
Further reading
- Hillis, D.M. & Wilcox, T.P. (2005): Phylogeny of the New World true frogs (Rana). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 34(2): 299–314. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.10.007 PMID 15619443 PDF fulltext.
- Hillis, D. M. (2007) Constraints in naming parts of the Tree of Life. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 42: 331–338.
- Watson, J.W., Pierce, D.J., McAllister, K.R., A. Alvarado (2000) Ecology of a Remnant Population of Oregon Spotted Frogs (Rana Pretiosa) in Thurston County, Washington. Final Report. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, Washington, USA.
External links
Media related to Rana pretiosa at Wikimedia Commons
- Rana pretiosa at CalPhotos
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