Adult characteristics ²

Ascaphus montanus grows up to 51mm (2in). Coloring is brown to grey with smooth, warty skin. The tympanum is absent, pupils are vertical and the fifth toe on the hind feet is wider than the others. The tail structure on males is everted cloacal tissue.

Egg characteristics ²

The eggs are single white spheres laid under ro.

Tadpole characteristics ²

Tadpoles are black and leech like in appearance. The mouth is designed to be able to adhere to rocks so the tadpole can graze on algae.

Metamorph characteristics ²

The metamorph stage can last for two years during which time Ascaphus montanus can grow several inches and retain the tail structure of the tadpole.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Patrick (Dan) Giltz, all rights reserved, uploaded by Patrick (Dan) Giltz
2. Adapted by Patrick (Dan) Giltz from a work by (c) Patrick (Dan) Giltz, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• AMNH Amphibian Species of the World
• AmphibiaWeb
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HerpMapper
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• VertNet

Range Map

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