Oregon's Red-Legged Frogs: Not Always Red-Legged
Dear Fellow Earthlings,
On my land in Oregon there are four ponds. Today I went down to "West Pond", which is the smallest of the four. I was there to check if any bullfrogs had invaded the pond. I am thrilled to report that I found no bullfrogs in that pond. The bullfrog is an invasive species in Oregon. Among other forms of damage that it inflicts on Oregon's natural environment, it devours native Oregon frogs. Therefore, I am doing my best to eliminate bullfrogs from Reltonia (See Installment 247, July 3, 2015.).
In the Willamette Valley of Oregon it appears that three frogs are classified as being native to the Willamette Valley: the Northern Red-Legged Frog, (RLF), the Cascades Frog, and the Oregon Spotted Frog. On Reltonia I have seen the RLF, the Pacific Tree Frog (whose status as native or non-native I have not determined), and of course the Bullfrog.
After conferring with a local amphibian specialist, I have learned that the frog picture below is a
red-legged frog ("Darker morph, sub-adult"). The RLF can come in a variety of dark and light color
morphs. The specialist noted that "other physical characteristics are key. E.g., position of eyes on head, skin texture, presence/absence of spots and mottling on belly and groin a
So down at West Pond I am now certain that I have red-legged frogs enjoying the nice environment
I have been striving to preserve. I am happy to share the three pictures of one of several RLFs I saw
in West Pond today.
Two years ago I witnessed some herons wading in West Pond, plucking frogs of the same species
as shown here up and swallowing them. In a move to protect the frogs I placed netting over West Pond. My efforts seem to have worked. That netting, however, was beginning to fall into disrepair. So I had to remove it. I am now considering stringing some baubles and bangles on small ropes strung over West Pond. I must not let up in my efforts to save these native Oregon frogs.
The RLF is beautiful and it is quite rare. The body length is about 3 centimeters and the legs are proportionally quite long, also about 3 centimeters. As you can see in the photographs accompanying
this blog, the frog I photographed today was brownish black in color, with a throat that is mottled black and beige. Its forelegs and hind legs are also mottled black and beige.
It jumps relatively slowly, with the average bound being about 5 or 6 centimeters distance. And, as you can see from the photos, it is an adorable creature!
Steve Walker Earthsaver and Jingles Creator
© 2013 Steve Walker, The Jingles-The Japan Foundation for English Pronunciation, Summit Enterprises.
