Lowland Leopard Frog (Rana yavapaiensis)
Scientific Name: Rana yavapaiensis
Range: Lower Colorado River and tributaries of Arizona and Nevada, and extreme Northeast Baja, and North Sonora.
Diet: Adults feed on small insects; tadpoles feed on algae, plant tissue, and small insects.
Temporal Activity: Live in permanent or semi-permanent waters. They like to be in streams, rivers, and ponds. They restrict themselves to elevations below 3,000 feet.
Breeding: Breed February to April, and sometimes in the fall. Hatch time is three to eighteen days. The tadpoles emerge to frogs from June to August. Males lack vocal sacs to create a chorus while looking for a mate.
Predators: Cougars, birds, predatory fish, and other frogs.
Notes: Pollution of waters and the environment has contributed to this species leaving many parts of Arizona. Read our Cave Creek RAYA story to learn about how CNUW was involved in rescuing and relocating a population of lowland leopard frogs.
Photo: Taken at Scottsdale Community College on November 8, 2005. More photos from CNUW's biodiversity sites are available below; click on the image for a larger version.
Scottsdale Community College:
