Pacific Frog Food and Habitat

Pascific chorus frogs live in water and on land.

The Pacific chorus frog, formerly known as the Pacific tree frog, lives in the western United States and British Columbia. One of the 38 thousand species of frog amphibians in the world, they live in the water as tadpoles and spend most of their adult life on land, living in the forests, grasslands and mountains of the Pacific west coast.

Description

These two-inch frogs have a range of color, such as green, brown, gray and a reddish hue. They can also rapidly change color to blend in to their surroundings. They have a dark mark that looks like a mask and some have spots and stripes on their backs. Unlike other frogs that have webbed feet, the Pacific chorus frog has sticky pads on their toes to help them climb plants in search of food.

Natural Habitat

The chorus frog also lives in cities, towns, pastures and meadows, nestled in the shrubs and grass.They go to ponds, wetlands and lakes to lay eggs. During their winter hibernation, you can find them in the mud and under logs and leaves keeping warm. They do this because they are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperature is controlled by air temperature.

Man-Made Habitat

An artificial habitat suitable for the chorus frog requires a pond about 20 inches deep to mimic natural wetlands as much as possible. Half of the pond will need plants and half with open water. Plants, tall grass, shrubs, rocks, logs and natural brush offer the most natural conditions, so frogs can hunt food, lay eggs and hide from predators. Indigenous plants and water varieties, such as submerged and floating leaf plants, are also necessities.

Sustenance

Insects and spider are their main food source. The plants will attract the food and also supply oxygen. Plants are also useful for attaching eggs. Between 400 and 750 eggs will be laid each year by a single female. They will attach to plants by a jelly-like substance. The sun will help to create algae that will feed the tadpoles, once the eggs hatch in 10 to 12 days.

Climate

These frogs prefer cool, moist climates and do not thrive as well in warm or hot climates. However, they can survive in the desert by hiding under fallen tree trunks and in cool, dark places.

To adapt to the climate, they gather in groups to increase the humidity in the air. In turn, they do not become dehydrated. This change in humidity keeps them from losing too much water and prevents untimely death from dehydration.

References

• San Francisco State University Department of Geography: The Biogeography of Pacific Tree Frog
• Oregon State University Extension Service: Pacific Chorus Frog