Cascades Frog

About the Cascades Frog

The Cascades frog (Rana cascadae) is a species of frog in the family Ranidae found in the Pacific Northwest, mainly in the Cascade Range and Olympic Mountains. The Cascades frog has moist, grainy skin, a light olive to brown to color on its back, a yellow jaw stripe on its throat, and bright yellow to orange coloration on its groin and rear legs. The cascades frog also has varying amounts of dorsal spots on its back, with colors that darken from lighter gray to black with age. The colors on the frog's back are also used to attract mates. The shape of the frog's head is most commonly an oval with the mouth coming out to a slight specific point. Female Cascade frogs are typically larger than males, averaging 60–75 mm (2.4–3.0 in), compared to males that average 50–60 mm (2.0–2.4 in) in length.

The advertisement call of the R. cascadae is a faint series of low, grating, clucking noises. Calls are produced at night and during the day from above and under the water. The Cascades frog's sister species is the Northern red-legged frog, as confirmed by mitochondrial DNA analysis. Genetic research shows that Californian Cascade frog... Wikipedia →