Frogs in the Temperate Rainforest

The earth contains 75 million acres of temperate rainforest, the largest of which are located along the Pacific Coast of North America, stretching from northern California through Oregon, Washington and into Canada. Temperate rainforests are characterized by high amounts of precipitation---between 60 and 200 inches of rain per year---from moist ocean air, as well as seasonal temperatures, deciduous trees moss and ferns. There are several species of frogs living in the world's temperate rainforests.

  1. Spring Peeper

    • Spring peepers are found in temperate rainforests along the eastern coast of the United States and Canada, in the Appalachian Mountain Range. The frogs are named for the sound they begin emitting in early spring. They use a vocal sack underneath their chin to fill and push out air, and create a "peeping" sound during the night as a mating call. Spring peepers are brown or tan and grow up to 1.5 inches long. The nocturnal frogs spend most of their time living on the ground in temperate rainforests, but can also be found climbing trees.

    Pacific Tree Frog

    • Pacific tree frogs can be found up and down the western coast of North America, including in the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, living in and around trees and other vegetation, such as ferns. The frogs occur in many different colors---including green, brown, reddish-brown, gray and tan---but the common distinction among Pacific tree frogs is a dark stripe on either side of the head that runs from the nostrils and through the eyes. The frogs' bellies are a whitish-cream color. Like the spring peeper, Pacific tree frogs have a vocal sack that is used to emit mating calls, often described as "ribbit."

    Tailed Frog

    • Tailed frogs, also called coastal tailed frogs, can be found in temperate rainforests along the Pacific Coast of North America. They live in cold, fast-flowing streams in the coastal mountain ranges. The frogs reach a length of just five centimeters and have external reproductive organs that appear to be tails, which they use to fertilize eggs. Tailed frogs are the only frog species in the world to fertilize internally. They can be found in varying shades of browns and grays, often blending in to the rocks in and around mountain and coastal streams. Unlike most frogs, the tailed frog does not vocalize for its mating call, presumably because the flowing waters in which they live are too noisy to be heard.