You may download the complete Status Report by clicking the link below: Final Oregon Spotted Frog Status Report Jul/97 - PDF Format (580K) See also: Ecology of a Remnant Population of Oregon Spotted Frogs (Rana Pretiosa) in Thurston County, Washington Oviposition Ecology of the Oregon Spotted Frog at Beaver Creek, Washington Screening Model for Determining Likelihood of Site Occupancy by Oregon Spotted Frogs (Rana pretiosa) in Washington Habitat Associations of the Oregon Spotted Frog (Rana Pretiosa): A Literature Review The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife maintains lists of species that are endangered, threatened, or sensitive in the state. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has adopted listing procedures developed in 1990 by a group of citizens, interest groups, and state and federal agencies (WAC 232-12-297). The procedures describe the process for listing species, criteria for listing and delisting, public review, and recovery and management. The first step in listing or delisting species is writing a status report that reviews a species’ status and addresses factors affecting its continued existence. Factors include, but are not limited to, historic, current, and expected population trends; natural history, including ecological relationships; historic and current habitat trends; population demographics and their relationship to long-term sustainability; and past and present management activities. Each status report undergoes a 90-day public review, during which the Department holds public meetings to receive comments and new information. Following the review period, the Department completes a final status report and listing recommendation. These undergo an additional 30-day review prior to being presented to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. State Environmental Policy Act documents are issued concurrently with final status reports and undergo a 14-day public review. The Commission makes a decision to list or delist species solely on biological status of a species. This is a Final Status Report for the Oregon spotted frog. Submit written comments on this report by August 3, 1997 to: Endangered Species Program Manager, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 600 Capitol Way N, Olympia, WA 98501-1091 or e-mail your comments to wildthing@dfw.wa.gov. The Department will present the results of this status review to the Fish and Wildlife Commission for action at the August 8-9, 1997 meeting in Richland, Washington.

Final Oregon Spotted Frog Status Report: Executive Summary The Oregon spotted frog (Rana pretiosa) is a Pacific Northwest endemic recently differentiated from a close relative, the Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris). Historically, the Oregon spotted frog occurred from southwestern British Columbia south to the northeast corner of California. In Washington, the Oregon spotted frog was historically found in the Puget Trough from the Canadian border to the Columbia River and east into the southern Washington Cascades. Oregon spotted frogs breed during late winter or early spring. The low-volume calls of the males resemble the sound of the distant tapping of a woodpecker. Females lay their eggs in traditional communal oviposition sites; areas of shallow, still or slow-moving water and sparse, emergent wetland vegetation. Eggs hatch in 18 to 30 days and the tadpoles grow and develop for 13 to 16 weeks prior to metamorphosis in mid-summer. Oregon spotted frogs mature and begin breeding at two or three years of age. Oregon spotted frogs are preyed upon during all life stages by a wide variety of predators ranging from invertebrates that prey on eggs, to garter snakes (Thamnophis spp.) and herons (family Ardeidae) that feed on adults. Among the most significant of predators are various introduced species. Numerous warmwater fish species (primarily of the families Centrarchidae, Percidae, and Ictaluridae) and the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) have been introduced to waters within the historic range of the Oregon spotted frog. Because of their life histories and habitat affinities, these introduced species pose serious threats to Oregon spotted frog populations. Oregon spotted frogs are almost entirely aquatic in habit, leaving the wetlands only occasionally and for short duration. Wetlands associated with lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams can provide suitable habitat. However, these aquatic environments must include a shallow emergent wetland component to be capable of supporting an Oregon spotted frog population. Historically, this critical element was found in the floodplains of many larger water bodies. Various emergent-wetland and floating aquatic plants are found in abundance in Oregon spotted frog habitat. Adult female and juvenile frogs, in particular, spend summers in relatively warm water of this shallow emergent wetland environment. Historically, the shallow floodplain pools that Oregon spotted frogs inhabited were drained, diked and filled to accommodate human needs. In the Puget Sound lowlands, existing wetlands represent a small proportion of what was present in pre-settlement times. In addition, exotic plants like reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) have changed the character of many wetlands and reduced their value as habitat for Oregon spotted frogs. The locations for 11 historic populations in Washington have been verified using museum specimen and published records. Only one historically known population and two recently discovered populations are known to remain in Washington. An additional 20 extant populations are known in Oregon and one in British Columbia. Based on an assessment of presence at historical localities, the species is estimated to have been lost from 78% of its former range. However, considering the broad former range suggested by the historic data, it is likely the species has actually been lost from over 90% of its former range. Due to the limited number of extant populations and the inadequacy of existing protection for these populations, it is recommended that the Oregon spotted frog be listed as a State Endangered species. For more information on wildlife management issues, please contact WDFW Wildlife Management Program. Phone: 360-902-2515 E-mail: wildthing@dfw.wa.gov Files formatted in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) require the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print. You can download the free reader directly from Adobe. Windows versions are approximately 4MB in size.