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A Guide to the Amphibians
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Reproduction, Eggs, and Tadpoles of
Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog - Rana sierrae

Camp, 1917

(= Mountain Yellow-legged Frog - Rana muscosa)





observation link

 

Mating Adults
Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog
Adults in amplexus and eggs,
Alpine County
Adults in amplexus, with a second male trying to steal the female, Alpine County Adults in amplexus, Alpine County
Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog
Male calling in shallow water,
Alpine County

Adult male next to egg mass Calling adult male, Alpine County
Eggs
Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Eggs Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Eggs Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Eggs
One egg mass, Alpine County Adult male guarding egg site, Fresno County © Vance Vreedenburg Several egg masses, Alpine County
Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Eggs Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Eggs  
Eggs, Alpine County

Eggs, Alpine County  
Tadpoles
Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Tadpoles Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Tadpole Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Tadpole
Group of mature tadpoles in
shallow water
Mature tadpole (2 or 3 years old) Mature tadpole
Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Tadpole Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Tadpoles Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Tadpole
Mature tadpole Mature tadpole (right) and
younger tadpole (left)
Young tadpole (probably 1 year old)
Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Tadpole Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Tadpole Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Tadpoles
Mature tadpole Mature tadpole Tadpoles, 2-3 years old, Fresno County
© Vance Vreedenburg
Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Tadpole Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Tadpole  
Mature tadpole with legs, tail, and intermediate jaw shape,
Tuolumne County © Max Roberts
Hundreds of tadpoles in an alpine lake in Fresno County © Max Roberts  
     
Habitat
Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Habitat Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Habitat Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Habitat
Habitat in breeding season, 8,800 ft., Alpine County Habitat in breeding season, 8,800 ft., Alpine County Habitat in breeding season, 8,800 ft., Alpine County
Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Habitat Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Habitat Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Habitat
Close-up of breeding location, 8,800 ft., Alpine County Breeding and egg-laying habitat, 8,800 ft., Alpine County Habitat, breeding season, Fresno County © Vance Vreedenburg
Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Habitat Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Habitat Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Habitat
Adult male (bottom of picture) calling from quiet channel flowing into lake, 8,800 ft., Alpine County

Tadpole habitat, 8,800 ft., Alpine County Tadpole habitat, 8,800 ft., Alpine County
Short Videos
Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frogs Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frogs Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frogs
Several pairs of male and female frogs in amplexus are seen in this video with females. They are successfully fought off by the amplexing males, usually by a strong kick, but sometimes a long wrestling match ensues. Eggs can be seen in the background along with a view of the breeding area. Several groups of male frogs are seen during the breeding season chasing and amplexing each other. You can hear release calls in the first few scenes. This behavior continued for hours, so it did not appear that they were mistaking each other for females they could breed with, but that it was some kind of territorial behavior between males. Or they could have been practicing their pouncing skills for when they encountered females in the future. (This is a long video which might take some time to download.) Two males are seen during the breeding season chasing and amplexing each other until one leaves and the other begins calling.
  Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog Tadpole  
  Large mature tadpoles swim at the shallow edge of a small lake in Alpine County.  

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