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The coloring of adult coastal tailed frogs often matches the color of local rocks ranging from brown or reddish-brown to gray with little flecks of yellow or gray. They have grainy textured skin that further enhances their camouflage. Male coastal tailed frogs have a short tail, the signature for tailed frogs. Adult males grow to one and three-quarter inches long and adult females to two inches long. They live in very shallow and heavily shaded water of fast running, small, permanent mountain streams with cold and clear water, rocky substrates and little silt in older forests. These streams are often
The Rocky Mountain tailed frog’s coloring often matches the color of local rocks ranging from brown or reddish-brown to gray. They have grainy textured skin that further enhances their camouflage. Males have a short tail, the signature for tailed frogs. Adult males are slightly smaller than adult females that grow to two inches in length. Rocky Mountain tailed frogs are found in the water or close by it. They live in very shallow and heavily shaded water of fast-flowing, small, permanent streams in older mountain forests with cold and clear water, rocky substrates and little silt. These streams are often
The Great Basin spadefoot is a species of toad. Adult spadefoots are gray with light lines along the back and light colored bellies. Their skin has abundant dark colored small bumpy spots. They have a single, black, hard spade on the heel of each hind foot. Adult females are larger than males, growing to two-and-a-half inches in length. Great Basin spadefoots live in dry sagebrush, grasslands and woodlands with sandy soils near ponds. Though they live in semi-arid habitats, they love the rain and damp weather. They spend most of the year in underground burrows that they dig quite efficiently
These large toads are well camouflaged in earth tones with dry bumpy skin that aids in protection from predators. Their color can be highly variable among individuals ranging from gray or reddish-brown to yellow or green. They have a light colored stripe that runs along the center of the back. Adult female toads are larger than males, growing to five inches in length. They live mainly on land in a range of habitats from forests to mountain meadows to desert flats. During the non-breeding season, they are nocturnal. They dig their own burrows in loose soil, use existing burrows or
These large toads have bumps on their dry skin which contain poison glands to discourage predators. Color varies between individuals ranging from gray or yellow to dark brown. They have thin white stripes along their backs and yellow bellies with dark specks. Females are larger than males and grow to five inches in length. Woodhouse’s toads live in river valleys in sagebrush and grassland habitats. They rest in burrows throughout the daytime hours and use wetlands during the breeding season. During dry weather, they burrow underground. Photo by Cameron Sponseller
Adult treefrogs have a dark mask that extends from the tip of the nose across the eyes to the shoulders. Coloration varies between individuals, ranging from green or reddish to brown or gray. Most have dark blotches along their sides with light colored bumpy undersides. They have special skin glands that produce a waxy coating to keep their skin moist. Male treefrogs have a dark gray, inflatable throat pouch during the breeding season. As the smallest frog species in Oregon, adult Northern Pacific treefrogs only grow to two inches in length. During the non-breeding season, this treefrog is found in
Adults have smooth, moist skin that is brown or reddish-brown in color with black flecks on their backs, sides and legs. They may also have a dark colored mask. Adults have red underlegs, hence their name. Females, growing to four inches in length, are almost twice the size of males. Adult red-legged frogs like cool damp coniferous or deciduous forests and forested wetlands. During the non-breeding season, adult frogs spend most of their time on land in woodlands along streams, in moist sedge or brush, along shaded pond edges or under logs and other forest debris. Damp weather permits them
Adult Cascades frogs have tan, copper or green backs with black spots and yellow bellies. Their skin has small bumps on the back and sides. Females, which grow to three inches in length, are slightly larger than males. Cascades frogs live in a variety of moist habitats including mountain meadows, bogs, seasonally flooded forested swamps and shallow ponds, marshes and lakes. They use woody debris, mud or dense vegetation for cover from predators and spend their winters hibernating in mud. They emerge during the summer and live in wet meadows and bogs or along forested streams and pond edges. The
Adult Oregon spotted frogs have moist bumpy skin that is reddish-brown on their topsides. On their heads, backs, sides and legs, they have black spots with light centers that darken with age. They also have red bellies and orange-red underlegs. Adult females grow to four inches in length and males to three inches. Oregon spotted frogs live in wet areas that provide abundant aquatic vegetation such as marshes, permanent ponds, lake edges and slow streams. When frightened, they hide in dense vegetation or under debris at the bottom of shallow wetlands. Adult frogs hibernate during the winter in freeze-free seeps
Adult frogs have moist bumpy skin that is tan or olive-green colored on their topsides. On their heads, backs, sides and legs, they have dark spots with light centers that darken with age. They also have red bellies and orange-red underlegs. Adult females grow to four inches in length and males to three inches in length. Columbia spotted frogs live in wet areas that provide abundant aquatic vegetation such as marshes, permanent ponds, lake edges and slow streams. When frightened, they hide in dense vegetation or under debris at the bottom of shallow wetlands. Adult frogs overwinter in springs, spring-fed
Adult frogs are gray or brown with yellow underbellies and thighs. Their color and grainy textured rough-looking skin helps camouflage them, making them hard to see among rocks. Adults can grow to three inches in length; males are slightly smaller than females. Foothill yellow-legged frogs live in or along edges of permanent streams and rivers with exposed rocky streambeds and off-channel waters that are slow flowing and quiet. In summer, they are likely to hide under rocks in streams or among clumps of vegetation along pools. They use rocks or debris at the bottom of the streams as refuge from
Adult Northern leopard frogs have smooth skin that is green or brown and covered with dark brown spots outlined with white rings. Females grow to just over four inches in length; males are slightly smaller at just over three inches. They live in and near various water sources with abundant vegetation such as wet meadows, marshes, riparian areas and moist, open woodlands. These frogs use the vegetation, such as grasses, sedge, weeds or brush, as cover from predators. During the winter, they need ponds or slow-running streams for hibernation. Photo from ODFW
The drake wood duck is the most colorful of North American ducks. The brown hen has similar features including a crest, distinctive white eye-ring, white belly and purplish-blue iridescence on wing coverts and speculum. Both sexes have a prominent tail that can be a field mark in flight. As their name implies, they are associated with timbered wetlands, nesting in cavities and sometimes even feeding in trees. Hens utter a fairly wide range of un-duck like sounds, but most common is a loud wee-e-e-e-k, wee-e-e-e-k. It is a regular breeder in the Willamette Valley, along slow reaches and backwaters of
The drake gadwall is a large mostly gray dabbling duck. Adult drakes have a black bill, buff head, gray body, and black upper and lower tail coverts. Hens are nondescript brown ducks with a spotted, yellowish-orange bill with black edges. Gadwalls are unique among dabbling ducks in having a partly white speculum which can be observed in flight. Common vocalizations include the deep, reed-like sounds of the male and the female's quacking, similar to but more nasal and higher pitched than the mallard hen. It is an abundant breeder locally in eastern Oregon and an uncommon breeder in western Oregon
This foreign visitor is regularly found in Oregon among wintering flocks of American widgeon. Drakes are easily distinguished from American wigeon drakes by reddish brown head, gray flank, and lack of green eye stripe. Hens are similar to American Wigeon hens and difficult to distinguish. The call of the male is a shrill whistling, whe'e you; the female's voice a low purr or croak. It is a rare to uncommon visitant east of the Cascades. Hear the call of the eurasian wigeon Photo by ©Greg Gilson
When mention is made of ducks, many people first think of the mallard. Its ability to tolerate human disturbance and adapt to urban as well as rural habitats make it the Northern Hemisphere's most abundant and widespread waterfowl. Females are mottled-brown, with dark brown stripe through the eye, orange bill with black splotching and have yellowish-orange legs. Immatures resemble adult females until males acquire nuptial plumage usually by mid-November. Males enter the eclipse molt in June and resemble hens until mid-September. Wings of both sexes have a violet-blue speculum bordered in front and behind by a pronounced white stripe. They
The blue-winged teal is one of Oregon's least common ducks. It is a small, warm-weather duck usually found in Oregon only from late spring until the weather cools in early fall. Except for adult drakes in alternate plumage, blue-wings are difficult to distinguish from cinnamon teal. For that reason its status in Oregon is less clear than that of other ducks. Adult blue-wing drakes have a gray head with white crescent between the eye and bill. Hens and young of both species are nondescript small brown ducks, but show the prominent blue wing-covert patch in flight. It is an uncommon
The bright rusty plumage of the male cinnamon teal, a bird of western North America, is a visual delight. In flight, both males and females show powder blue in the wings as they fly fast and low, timed at nearly 60 miles per hour. They weigh only about one pound. They are a common breeder throughout the state except in western Oregon and the high Cascades. They are most common east of the Cascades. Hear the call of the cinnamon teal Photo by Maxine Wyatt
The Northern shoveler's specialized bill earned it in the nickname "spoonbill" among waterfowl hunters. The drake is strikingly handsome with a dark head, white breast, reddish belly, blue wing coverts and an iridescent green speculum. Brown hens also have blue wing patches similar to that of the cinnamon and blue-wing teal. This duck is locally common in summer in eastern Oregon and uncommon in western Oregon. It is a common spring and fall migrant statewide. Hear the call of the Northern shoveler Photo by Kathy Munsel, ODFW
The pintail is a large, long-necked duck of open spaces. The long-tailed, full-plumaged drake is striking with a chestnut head, gray back and flanks, bright white breast and front of neck, and iridescent green bronze speculum. The brown hen is nondescript, but shares the long neck and graceful shape of the drake. Common vocalizations are the two-note flute-like whistle of the drake and harsh gaak, either single or in a series, of the hen. In fall and winter, pintails travel in medium to large flocks. In Oregon, flocks seem to fly exceptional distances in daily foraging and can be seen
