The tailed frogs are two species of frogs. The species are part of the genus, Ascaphus is the only taxon in the family Ascaphidae . The "tail" in the name is actually an extension of the male cloaca. The tail is one of two distinctive anatomical features adapting the species to life in fast-flowing streams. It is the only North American frog that reproduces by internal fertilization. The existence of the visible "tail" appendage makes this frog family distinct from all other frogs.
Ten Facts about Tailed Frog
- Tailed frogs grow to be between 1 and 2 inches in length
- A wide variety of food items taken, including both aquatic and terrestrial larval and adult insects, other arthropods (especially spiders), and snails.
- Breeding season lasts from May through September.
- Females deposit their eggs in strings under rocks in fast-moving streams.
- Larvae take one to four years to metamorphose in the cool, fast-moving mountain streams.
- The tailed frog occurs in the Cascade Mountains and Coast Range from southern Canada to northern California, in the Blue Mountains of eastern Washington and Oregon, and in the Rocky Mountains of Northern Idaho and probably western Montana.
- These frogs live in clear, cold mountain streams. During rainy seasons, they are occasionally found on land away from streams.
- Life span is about 8-10 years.
- They are favorite food of snakes.
- Males make noise to attract females.
