Columbia Spotted Frog
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/241595417
I found this frog near the Dredge lakes trail while on a walk. It was dead and looked like it was pretty dried up, so it had probably been dead for a while. I chose to post about it because this is a somewhat rare species to see in Juneau, and I have never seen one before. I was excited to have found this frog, because I have heard of them before and have actually tried to find them but was never able to. Fish and Game says that in Southeast AK they are generally limited to river corridors. In colder environments they require a body of water that does not freeze over. The one I found was right next to Mendenhall River, so this makes sense. The ADFG website also says that they have only been reported in Juneau at one location, and that they are suspected to be introduced to the area.
This frog is found from Alaska through Coastal BC and down through the PNW to Nevada. They are a candidate species for the Endangered Species Act. Their populations are declining due to habitat destruction. These frogs breed in wetlands during the spring, and migrate along riparian corridors to feed. They hibernate in the winters.
Mining has had serious impacts on these frogs, as some metals can kill them or stop them from being able to breed.
These frogs have an interesting diet. Although their diet consists of mainly bugs and food sources that seem common to frogs, they are very opportunistic and are known to eat snails, crustaceans, and arthropods.
https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=columbiaspottedfrog.main
https://www.fws.gov/species/columbia-spotted-frog-rana-luteiventris
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_spotted_frog