I took these pictures 13 September 2007 at the Greater Vancouver Zoo husbandry. These are both Red-legged froglets. They will be released back into the wild after proven healthy and marking. The scientific name for Red-legged frog is Rana aurora. Rana being the family of 'True frogs', and cousin to the Oregon Spotted frog. The Red-legged frog looks almost identical to the Oregon Spotted frog and is mistaken for one another often. However, there are some noticable differences between the two.
Red-legged frogs webbing do not extend to the end of the toe like the Oregon Spotted frog. The eyes on the Red-legged frogs look out to the side while the Oregon Spotted frogs look almost directly up. The call is different with both species.
Some of the differences are:
They both have a light stripe on the jaw. They both lay between 500-700 eggs per egg mass at about the same time (Feb-March). Egg masses are very difficult to tell apart unless laid in the traditional manner. Red-legged frogs lay their eggs attached to submerged vegetation, however, after awhile, these masses will rise to the surface of the water. Oregon Spotted frogs will lay their egg masses in tight, communal groups on the surface of the water. Red-legged frogs can be found outside of the water, while Oregon Spotted frogs are rarely seen period.
For more information on Red-legged frogs, visit:
For more information on Red-legged frogs, visit:
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