Columbia Spotted Frog (Rana luteiventris)

Common Name: Columbia Spotted Frog
Scientific Name: Rana luteiventris
Family: Ranidae – True Frog family
Locations: Canada and the United States
US Locations: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming
Size: 4 inches (10.1 cm)

The Columbia Spotted Frog has a very large range from Alaska down to Nevada and Utah. They can be found at sea level all the way up 10,000 feet high in elevation. They can be found active during the winter underneath the ice. Breeding for the frog takes place between February to early July, depending on elevation and latitude, after the snow starts to melt. The frog mates like most frogs do, the males call from the shallows of a water body and the female selects her mate. The pair goes into amplexus while the female lays her eggs. Neither parent provides any care for the eggs or offspring. Eggs are typically laid in aquatic vegetation to protect and hide the eggs. The adults can be found in or near the edges of water bodies when not hibernating.