Rana aurora
Silhouette: Michael Scroggie, from original photograph by John Bettaso, USFWS (original photograph in public domain). · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Northern red-legged frogs (Rana aurora) are an amphibian species in the true frog family. They have greenish- to reddish-brown skin, red hind legs, dark spots across their backs, and dark facial masks. As a member of the genus Rana, this species is considered a true frog, with characteristic smooth skin and a narrow waist. These frogs are distributed along the Pacific coast of the United States and Canada, from Northern California to southwest British Columbia. There is some range overlap with the federally protected California red-legged frog. Northern red-legged frogs generally breed from January to March, laying eggs in water with submerged vegetation.
Northern red-legged frogs have decreasing population sizes and are listed as "Least Concern" by IUCN. They are a conservation strategy species in Oregon. These frogs are negatively affected by roads due to their characteristic breeding migration from upland-terrestrial to aquatic habitat. Excessive road fatalities have led to novel volunteer programs and wildlife undercrossing projects to protect urban frog populations in Portland, Oregon.
Northern red-legged frogs' genus and species name is Rana aurora. They are in... Wikipedia →
Recording2:10
2022
© Cristina Sandoval · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:10
Canada · 2021
© Ian Cruickshank · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:23
Canada · 2023
© Steven Esau · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Akron Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Monterey Bay Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | SEA Discovery Center | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Red-legged Frog sighting in Portland on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 9th most-seen of the 9 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Red-legged Frog in Portland on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months. Those are among Portland's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain a month against 250 mm in December.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Red-legged Frog sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Northern Red-legged Frog sightings, Portland ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Vancouver (Canada, about 10%) and Seattle (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Red-legged Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Portland (8 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
