365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Rana Cascadae, Cascades Frog
Day 243: You might think that the "cascade" in Rana cascadae's scientific and common names (Cascades Frog) referred to riffles or waterfalls, but in fact it reflects a larger habitat: the Cascade Range. It inhabits higher elevations than the Red-Legged Frog, but in the transition zone where the species overlap, the two can be difficult to tell apart, especially if young specimens of R. aurora are present. Once you move above 4500', it is unlikely that you would find R. aurora. R. cascadae's vertical range extends to 6000', and is limited to a relatively narrow band including the Cascade Crest and Mount Rainier. Sometimes these frogs appear in great numbers and can turn their marshy habitat into a living obstacle course for anyone venturing into their territory. The drum-like reverberation of a human footfall may set the wetland springing as a dozen or more frogs leap to safety.
Labels:
Cascades Frog,
MORA,
Rana cascadae
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment