Foothill Yellow-legged Frog

Rana boylii

The Foothill Yellow-legged Frog is a small, colorful frog found near rivers and streams. They have bright yellow legs and love to hop around in the water and on land.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Foothill Yellow-legged Frog has mottled brown, gray, or reddish skin with small bumps, helping it blend into rocky streambeds. Its most distinctive feature is the bright yellow or orange wash on the underside of its hind legs and feet. It often lacks prominent dorsolateral folds.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAmphibiaOrderAnuraFamilyRanidaeGenusRana

Foothill Yellow-legged Frog

Interesting facts

Adult frogs can use their powerful legs to create splashes, startling predators away!

Tadpoles have a sucker-like mouth, helping them cling to rocks in rushing water!

These frogs lay string-like egg clumps attached to rocks, protecting them from strong river currents.

These frogs love cool, clear mountain streams, avoiding murky ponds where they cannot thrive.

Special abilities

Foothill Yellow-legged Frogs have special rough skin on their belly and hind legs that helps them grip slippery rocks in fast-flowing water.

Foothill Yellow-legged Frogs can breathe through their skin, allowing them to stay underwater for a long time in oxygen-rich streams.

Foothill Yellow-legged Frogs have mottled, bumpy skin that perfectly matches the stones and pebbles of their streambed home, making them almost invisible.

Measurements & details

Length: 3.7-7.8 cm
Weight: 0.005-0.03 kg
Lifespan: 5-7 years
Top Speed: 8 km/h
Clutch Size: 200-800
Metamorphosis: 60-150 days

Diet & Feeding

These frogs are hungry insect-eaters, snatching up bugs that come too close to their watery home.

Age differences: Tadpoles are vegetarians, grazing on algae; adults are carnivores eating insects and other small invertebrates.

Primary Foods

Flies
Beetles
Spiders
Crickets
Ants
Caterpillars

Foraging Method

Ambush

Ecological connections

eaten by

Common Garter Snake

Thamnophis sirtalis

Snakes are a common predator along streambanks.

eaten by

Rainbow Trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Larger fish prey on tadpoles and young frogs.

eats

Bloodworm (Midge larva)

Chironomus plumosus

Adult frogs ambush various stream-dwelling insects.

eaten by

Raccoon

Procyon lotor

Raccoons forage along stream banks for frogs.

Traits

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Camouflaged

Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.