Gresham photographer spots ‘unusually adventurous’ frogs seeking relief from heat

A pair of local Gresham residents hippity hopped into the foliage late last week, creating a rare sight of some adventurous frogs.

Wildlife photographer Caz Zyvatkauskas snapped photos of northern red-legged frogs perched high up in some ferns, seeking a cool spot during the heat wave. That sighting is somewhat unusual, with a local frog expert confirming the species is not renowned for its climbing prowess.

The likely reason is they were in hot pursuit of tasty insects, hiding from predators, or perhaps doing a bit of thermoregulation — something the rest of us can relate to as we darted between shaded spots and blasted air conditioning.

The northern red-legged frogs live along the Pacific Coast, and are protected in Oregon and California. It is considered a “true frog” with smooth skin and a narrow waist. They spend most of their lives near breeding ponds or marshes.

Adults reach a length of just over 3 inches, with dark facial masks and a light stripe along their jawline. Though they have powerful jumping legs, explaining how the Gresham pair got up into the foliage, they are more often spotted along thick vegetated shoreline. When they sense danger — from fish, snakes, birds and mammals — they will dive down to the water depths to hide.

Red-legged frogs love insects, but will also eat snails and crustaceans, as well as tadpoles and small fish.

Often the red-legged frogs are overshadowed by their noisy cousins. When walking around East Multnomah County in the evenings, those amphibian ribbits and croaks are most likely the Pacific Chorus Frogs, which are a beloved sound bite for Hollywood productions looking to add ambiance to their movies set in jungles.