This handsome red-legged frog (Rana aurora) was hopping across a trail close to Black Creek in Miracle Beach Provincial Park this weekend. It was interesting to see the frog in the forest. When we first spotted it we thought it might be a western toad (Bufo boreas) due to its size and the habitat. However, a closer look at its golden eyes and distinctive red colouring on its hindlegs quickly confirmed it as a red-legged frog. The frog patiently allowed me to take a few photographs before moving deeper into the woods on the other side of the trail.

The red-legged frog is Blue listed in BC and Vulnerable by Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). This is primarily due to habitat loss and competition from introduced species of frogs and predatory fish.

You can learn more about frogs and other amphibians in British Columbia by visiting the BC Frog Watch website.