Coastal Tailed Frog

Where they live

• View a map of where they live
• Found in western Washington, from the Olympics to the Cascades
• In Washington state, they are found from the Cascade mountains to the coast, in higher mountain elevations, the population in southeastern Washington has recently been separated into a different species, Ascaphus montanus.
• Rocky forest streams, prefer fast moving clear water, rarely found away from water and only on really wet nights

Breeding

• Breeding season is in the Fall and eggs are laid in the spring/summer
• Eggs are laid in strings underneath big rocks
• Tadpoles have a large sucker mouth to cling on the rocks in fast water streams and feed on algae
• Can take up to four years for tadpoles to complete metamorphosis

Cool Biology Facts

• One of the most primitive of all frogs and their closest living relatives are in New Zealand!
• One of the only frogs in the world that have internal fertilization
• Have reduced lungs (breathe mostly through skin) which helps to limit buoyancy in water
• Fingertips are hardened like claws to help move around and the rocks on the fast moving water
• One of the longest living species of frogs can live up to 15-20 years!

Threats

• Main threats include habitat destruction due to logging and roads. View their status on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.