sides are usually cream-colored; the lower abdomen and the undersides of the hind legs are usually a reddish-orange, but can also be yellow. Females are
generally about 4 inches in size; males are usually about 3 inches.
Range: The spotted frog can be found from extreme southeastern Alaska, south through western Alberta to coastal Oregon and
Washington, and east to northern Wyoming, northern Utah, and central Nevada.
Habitat: Spotted frogs can be found in areas up to 9850 feet in elevation. They prefer hilly areas near cool, permanent, quiet water
in streams, rivers, lakes, pools, springs, and marshes. The frog is highly aquatic, but may disperse into forests, grasslands, and brushlands. In the Northwest, the Columbia spotted frog prefers
areas with thick algae and emergent vegetation, but may use sunken, dead, or decaying vegetation as escape cover.
Diet: Spotted frogs eat a wide variety of insects, along with mollusks, crustaceans, and arachnids. The larvae eat algae, organic
debris, plant tissue, and tiny water-borne organisms.
Ecology: Spotted frogs hibernate depending on range, and are mostly inactive in winter. They may move overland in spring after
breeding. This species is in decline across some of its range, but seems to be widespread and abundant in Idaho. Bullfrogs are predators.
Reproduction: Spotted frogs are not sexually mature until 4 years for males and 6 years for females. They usually breed from
mid-March through June, depending on elevation. A Wyoming study found that females breed yearly at low elevations, but only every two or three years at higher elevations. Females may lay egg
masses in communal clusters.
