Ronald Altig1, Roy W. McDiarmid2, Kimberly A. Nichols3 and Paul C. Ustach4
DIVISION 3: RANIDAE
SECTION 1. LTRF AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D - [5] -
| A. | LTRF 1/3, 2/3 (most commonly) or 3/3; throughout continent and Hawaii |
| B. | LTRF 2/4 or 3/4; Alaska southeast to Georgia in one case or Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges and west |
| C. | LTRF 5/3; streams of south-central Arizona (extinct; sympatric: none) |
Rana tarahumarae [B]
| D. | LTRF 6-7/6; slow streams and adjacent lentic sites in Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges and west (sympatric: Rana muscosa) |
Rana boylii [B]
SECTION 2. RANGE RESTRICTION: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Section 1-A - [5] -
| A. | Hawaii |
| B. | mainland |
SECTION 3. SIZE, COLORATION, AND BODY AND FIN SHAPES: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A and 2-A - [5] -
| A. | tadpole small, < 25 TL; prominent (formed of many, closely- arranged, brightly-colored cells) transverse golden band at mid- body (visible or not in preserved specimen but sparse distributions of melanophores in this area often allow detection of where band was); ground color dark and discrete dots on dorsum and in dorsal fin absent; belly transparent to slightly white; body not notably depressed and dorsal fin with notable arch; any sort of lentic or lotic sites (sympatric: Rana rugosa) |
Rana catesbeiana (part) [A]
| B. | tadpole larger, to 140 TL; dorsum, dorsal fin and dorsal part of tail muscle with many, small, black dots with discrete borders, visible in live or preserved animals, but faint (visible at magnification) when first form at about 20-25 TL; ground color brownish to greenish in life, brownish to gray in preservative; belly opaque white in larger specimens, sometimes tinged with yellow in life; body not notably depressed and dorsal fin with notable arch; any sort of lentic or lotic site (sympatric: Rana rugosa) |
Rana catesbeiana (part) [A]
| C. | tadpole to 80 TL; dorsum uniformly brown with minor dark reticulations but lacking discrete dots on dorsum and dorsal fin; belly white; body depressed and dorsal fin with low arch; slow parts of lotic sites and adjacent lentic sites (sympatric: Rana catesbeiana) |
Rana rugosa (not illustrated) [B]
SECTION 4. SIZE, PROMINENT COLORATIONS, BODY AND FIN SHAPES, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A and 2-B - [4] -
| A. | tadpole small, to ca. 25 TL; prominent (i.e., formed of many, closely-arranged, brightly-colored cells) to faint (i.e., formed of fewer, widely-spaced cells) transverse golden, brassy, or russet band at mid-body (visible or not in preserved specimen but sparse distributions of melanophores in this area often allow detection of where band was); fins not pigmented or slightly opaque; native and introduced ranges throughout most of continent but several species limited to Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains |
| B. | tadpole larger, 25-140 TL; dorsum, dorsal fin and dorsal part of tail muscle with many, small, black dots with discrete borders, visible in live or preserved animals, but are faint (visible at magnification) when first form at about 20-25 TL; ground color brownish to greenish in life, brownish to gray in preservative; belly opaque white in larger specimens, sometimes tinged with yellow in life; body not strongly depressed and dorsal fin with notable arch; native and introduced ranges include most of continent; breeds in summer in larger lotic and lentic sites, may over-winter 0-3 years (sympatric: number of ranids, but none with similar pattern) |
Rana catesbeiana (part) [A]
| C. | tadpole larger, 25-140 TL; body dorsum uniformly olive to bright green in life, gray to brownish in preservative; dorsal fin and dorsal half of tail muscle totally lacking black dots of typical R. catesbeiana; belly densely white to bright yellow; body not strongly depressed and dorsal fin with notable arch; unusual color morphotype that breeds in summer in lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites in southern Alabama and Florida peninsula to at least Tampa Bay area (sympatric: several other ranids but none with similar coloration) |
Rana catesbeiana (part) [A]
| D. | tadpole larger, to 90 TL; dorsum dark or pale brown to gray with a few dots with fuzzy borders and subtle vermiculations; no spots in dorsal fin, but distal third of tail commonly with black, somewhat haphazard, more or less rectangular markings, fins commonly densely speckled; venter densely white in large specimens, usually with silver patches of iridophores in younger specimens, body notably depressed and long dorsal fin with low arch; summer breeder in usually permanent, often swampy sites, exotic range: Vancouver Island and adjacent British Columbia, western and eastern Washington, and near Salt Lake City, Utah; native range: most of eastern North America east of central Oklahoma (sympatric: Rana catesbeiana*, R. aurora, R. cascadae, R. okaloosae, R. pretiosa, R. septentrionalis**, and various species of R. pipiens complex) |
Rana clamitans [B]
| E. | tadpole larger, 25-110 TL; body grayish with finely freckled pattern, perhaps caused by integumentary glands; prominent to faint (fades as tadpole grows but usually visible) transverse golden band at mid-body; fins appear opaque white with intense black along entire margin (tail pattern persists in preservative); body somewhat depressed and fin with low arch; lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites, often in swamps, from southern North Carolina to southeastern Mississippi (sympatric: no other tadpole has similar pattern) |
Rana heckscheri (part) [A]
| F. | tadpole larger, to 100 TL; dorsum randomly spotted or mottled with various shades black, yellow and green; fins lightly speckled but no notable black marks on distal third of tail; body not notably depressed; summer breeder in lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites north of latitudes of northern Wisconsin and northern Maine (sympatric: Rana catesbeiana and R. clamitans) |
Rana septentrionalis (part) [B]
| G. | tadpole larger, 25-110 TL; body brown to russet with small, subtle, darker markings; middle of dorsal fin with longitudinal dark line or row of dots; Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains from southeastern Texas to New Jersey |
| H. | regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors and patterns described in choices above absent |
SECTION 5. COLORATION AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A and 4-A - LTRF usually 2/3; to 25 TL; prominent (formed of many, closely-arranged, bright-colored cells) to faint (formed of fewer, widely-spaced cells) transverse golden, brassy, or russet band at mid-body (may or may not be visible in preserved specimen but sparse distributions of melanophores in this area often allow detection of where band was); fins usually not pigmented but may be slightly opaque; throughout continent but several species limited to Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains - [4, in life] -
| A. | low contrast (sometimes not noticeable without magnification) yellow band at mid-body; rest of body with scattered iridophores that appear to reside in various integumentary and subintegumentary layers; black pigment along blood vessel that parallels dorsal surface of tail muscle; fins clear and not marked; tail muscle unicolored or graded from dark dorsally to light ventrally; throughout continent in native and introduced ranges, breeds in summer depending on latitude, in larger lotic and lentic sites (sympatric: Rana grylio*, R. heckscheri, and R. virgatipes) |
Rana catesbeiana (part) [A]
| B. | high contrast (easily visible without magnification) brassy band at mid-body on black ground color; with tadpole growth, band fades as ground color turns to russet; fins slightly opaque; tail muscle unicolored; summer breeder, usually in permanent lentic sites in Coastal Plain from southwestern Louisiana and adjacent Texas to central South Carolina (sympatric: Rana catesbeiana, R. heckscheri, and R. virgatipes*) |
Rana grylio (part) [B]
| C. | high contrast yellow band at mid-body on black ground color; band fades with age but persists throughout ontogeny; fins clear and lack black margin of older tadpoles; tail muscle bicolored; summer breeder in lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites in Coastal Plain from southeastern Mississippi to southeastern North Carolina except for southern two-thirds of Florida peninsula (sympatric: R. catesbeiana, R. grylio*, and R. virgatipes) |
Rana heckscheri (part) [A]
| D. | low contrast bronze to brassy band at mid-body on bronzy to russet ground color; fins finely speckled; tail muscle unicolored or grades to slightly more pale ventrally; summer breeder in lentic, often swampy, sites in Atlantic Coastal Plain from northeastern Florida to New Jersey (sympatric: Rana catesbeiana, R. clamitans, and R. grylio**) |
Rana virgatipes (not illustrated) (part) [B]
SECTION 6. LENGTH OF LTR P-3, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A and 3-G - LTRF usually 2/3; ca. 25-110 TL; body brown to russet with small, subtle, darker markings; middle of dorsal fin with longitudinal dark line or row of dots; Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains from southeastern Texas to New Jersey - [2 in sympatry] -
| A. | P-2/P-3 ca. 1.7; ground color brown with subtle mottling, longitudinal series of dark dots in dorsal fin; summer breeder, usually in permanent lentic sites in Coastal Plain from southwestern Louisiana and adjacent Texas to central South Carolina (sympatric: Rana catesbeiana, R. clamitans, and R. virgatipes**) |
Rana grylio (part) [B]
| B. | P-2/P-3 ca. 1.3; ground color brownish to slightly maroon with minor dark, fine markings, sometimes dotted; longitudinal series of dark dots in dorsal fin, sometimes fuse into continuous stripe, and fainter stripe may parallel this array on tail muscle; summer breeder in lentic, often swampy, sites in Atlantic Coastal Plain from northeastern Florida to New Jersey (sympatric: Rana catesbeiana, R. clamitans, and R. grylio**) |
Rana virgatipes (part) [B]
SECTION 7. RANGE RESTRICTIONS: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A, 2-B, and 4-H - LTRF usually 2/3; regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors or patterns described in Section 4 absent - [5] -
| A. | Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges and west |
| B. | Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges to Rocky Mountains |
| C. | Rocky Mountains to Mississippi River |
| D. | east of Mississippi River |
SECTION 8. SIZE, LTR P-3 AND P-1, DORSAL FIN, JAW SHEATHS, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A, 2-B, 4- H, and 7-A - LTRF usually 2/3; regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors or patterns described Section 4 absent; Sierra Nevada- Cascade ranges and west - [4] -
| A. | to 75 TL; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.5; P-1 with medial gap; dorsal fin with prominent arch to nearly parallel with tail muscle; tail length ca. 1.8 times body length; lower jaw sheath medium; body uniform maroon-brown to brightly speckled with golden iridophores; many kinds of aquatic habitats including marshes, bogs, swamps, slow streams, and temporary pools in southwestern British Columbia to southern California (presented with LTRF of 2/3 and 3/4 because of uncertainty of distribution of LTRF among populations and/or species; probably not consistently distinguishable except by range; sympatric: Rana cascadae*, R. clamitans, R. pipiens, and R. pretiosa*) |
Rana aurora (part) [B]
| B. | to ca. 65 TL; P-2/P-3 ca. 2.5; P-1 without medial gap; dorsal fin nearly parallel with tail muscle; tail length ca. 2.0 times body length; lower jaw sheath medium; dorsum uniformly brownish, no white line extending posteriorly from near corners of oral disc; montane marshes, pools and lake margins and slow reaches of low-gradient streams of Olympic Mountains and Cascade Range, southern limit = Mt. Lassen, Shasta Co., California, about 700 m (2300 ft)(sympatric: Rana aurora*, R. luteiventris, and R. pretiosa*) |
Rana cascadae (part) [B]
| C. | to 105 TL; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.3; P-1 with medial gap; dorsal fin with moderate arch; tail ca. 2.0 times body length; lower jaw sheath narrow; uniformly dark dorsally; back-waters of small streams, montane pools, bogs, and lake margins from southeastern Alaska southward to northern California with large gaps in distribution (sympatric: Rana aurora*, R. cascadae, and R. clamitans) |
Rana pretiosa [B]
SECTION 9. COLORATION, NEUROMASTS, SUBMARGINAL AND MARGINAL PAPILLAE, BODY PROPORTIONS, LTR P-1, ABDOMINAL MUSCULATURE, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A, 2-B, 4-H, and 7-B - LTRF usually 2/3; regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors or patterns in Section 10 absent; Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges to Rocky Mountains - [3] -
| A. | no published data; sloughs and ponds in Vegas Valley, Clark Co., Nevada (extinct; sympatric: none) |
Rana fisheri [C]
| B. | no published data; spring runs and sloughs along upper Virgin River, Clarke Co., Nevada (sympatric: none) |
Rana onca [C]
| C. | no published data; streams and nearby ponds within and near Ramsey Canyon, Hereford Co., Arizona (sympatric: none) |
Rana subaquavocalis [C]
| D. | general coloration pale with well defined reticulated pattern on tail muscle; iris in life with dark marks at major compass points; neuromasts obscure; submarginal papillae in poorly-defined row along lateral ends of lower tooth rows; midventral marginal papillae large; oral disc width/body length < .20; basal tail muscle height/body length < .34; P-1 with medial gap; myotomes of rectus abdominis weakly developed; lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites; exotic in Gila River drainage (sympatric: Rana yavapaiensis**) |
Rana berlandieri (part) [A]
| E. | general coloration dark, definite large blotches on distal third of tail and ventrolaterally on body; iris in life with dark marks at major compass points and abundant but diffuse pigment between these marks; neuromasts obscure; few, small submarginal papillae scattered laterally; midventral marginal papillae small; oral disc width/body length < .20; basal tail muscle height/body length > .35; P-1 with medial gap; myotomes of rectus abdominis prominently visible through skin of preserved tadpole; lentic and slow- flowing lotic sites; central to southwestern Arizona and adjacent New Mexico (sympatric: Rana pipiens* and R. yavapaiensis*) |
Rana chiricahuensis [A]
| F. | general coloration uniform dark to gray; iris with iridophore pigment in life; neuromasts obscure; few, small submarginal papillae scattered laterally; midventral marginal papillae medium; oral disc width/body length ca. .04; basal tail height/body length ca. .20; P-1 with medial gap; myotomes of rectus abdominis weakly developed; many aquatic habitats from back-waters of slow streams to marshes and lake margins in much of eastern Oregon and Washington and adjacent Canada with several disjunct populations in Nevada (sympatric: Rana cascadae and R. pipiens) |
Rana luteiventris (part) [B]
| G. | general coloration relatively uniform throughout; iris in life with dark pigment at major compass points; neuromasts obscure; few, small submarginal papillae scattered laterally; midventral marginal papillae medium; oral disc width/body length < .20; basal tail muscle height/body length < .34; P-1 without medial gap; myotomes of rectus abdominis weakly developed and barely visible through skin of preserved tadpole; lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites; northern half of Arizona and New Mexico (sympatric: Rana chiricahuensis*) |
Rana pipiens (part) [B]
| H. | generally dark coloration formed of fine stippling and larger blotches common on tail; iris in life with black marks at major compass points; neuromasts easily visible on dark ground color; few, small submarginal papillae scattered laterally; midventral marginal papillae small and pigmented; oral disc width/body length > .20; basal tail muscle height/body length < .3; P-1 with medial gap; posterior 2-3 myotomes of rectus abdominis visible; lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites; southeastern Nevada to southern Arizona and east to central Arizona south of Mogollon Rim and adjacent New Mexico (sympatric: Rana berlandieri** and R. chiricahuensis*) |
Rana yavapaiensis [A]
SECTION 10. IRIS, UPPER JAW SHEATH, TOOTH ROW CONFIGURATIONS, MARGINAL AND SUBMARGINAL PAPILLAE, DORSAL FIN, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A, 2-B, 4-H, and 7-C - LTRF usually 2/3; regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors or patterns described in Section 4 absent; Rocky Mountains east to Mississippi River - [2-3] -
| A. | iris always with iridophores in life; upper jaw sheath robust and wide; length of one part of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 0.5; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.7; P-1 without medial gap; midventral marginal papillae large; submarginal papillae few to absent; dorsal fin originates near tail-body junction and forms medium to high arch; white lip line usually present; variable, depending on turbidity, from uniformly dark to uniformly pale, fins usually clear but may have bold markings; lentic, usually temporary sites, breeds explosively in early spring in eastern Oklahoma south to Gulf of Mexico and east (no accurate means of distinguishing between R. areolata and R. sphenocephala; sympatric: Rana blairi**, R. palustris*, and R. sphenocephala**) |
Rana areolata (part) [B]
| B. | iris always with iridophores in life; upper jaw sheath robust and wide; length of one part of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 0.6; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.2; P-1 with medial gap; midventral marginal papillae large; submarginal papillae in poorly-defined row along lateral ends of lower tooth rows; dorsal fin originates near tail-body junction and forms low arch; white lip line usually present; generally pale colored with definite dark reticulate pattern on tail muscle; fins without prominent markings; usually lentic sites in southwestern three-quarters of Texas (sympatric: Rana blairi) |
Rana berlandieri (part) [B]
| C. | iris with or without iridophores, if absent, eyes appear black in life; upper jaw sheath robust and wide; length of one part of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 1.5; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.0; P-1 without a medial gap; upper midventral marginal papillae medium; crowded submarginal papillae laterally; dorsal fin originates anterior to tail-body junction and forms high arch; white lip line weak to absent; dorsum of body and tail muscle uniformly pale, often golden in life and tan to gray in preservative; fins without notable markings; lentic sites, often turbid, in eastern Missouri west and south to eastern Colorado and central New Mexico (sympatric: Rana areolata, R. berlandieri, R. sphenocephala) |
Rana blairi (part) [A]
| D. | iris with iridophores in life; lower jaw sheath narrow to medium; length of one part of A-2/width ca. 0.2; P-2/P-3 1.5; P-1 with medial gap; midventral marginal papillae small; submarginal papillae few to absent; dorsal fin originates near tail-body junction and forms moderate arch; white lip line absent; general coloration uniform dark to gray; many aquatic habitats from back- waters of slow streams to marshes and lake margins in most of northern two-thirds of Idaho, western Montana and adjacent Wyoming and disjunct populations in Utah and Wyoming (sympatric: Rana pipiens) |
Rana luteiventris (part) [B]
| E. | iris with iridophores in life; lower jaw sheath robust and wide; length of one part of A-2/width of medial gap 0.2-0.5; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.2; P-1 with medial gap; midventral marginal papillae large; few scattered submarginal papillae laterally; dorsal fin originates anterior to tail-body junction and forms high arch; white lip line faint to absent; ground color of body purplish-black freckled with lighter pigment, tail fin uniformly speckled; early spring breeder in lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites in northeastern Missouri southwest to eastern Texas coast (sympatric: Rana areolata, R. blairi, and R. sphenocephala**) |
Rana palustris (part) [B]
| F. | iris always with iridophores in life; lower jaw sheath robust and wide; length of one part of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 0.7; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.5; P-1 without medial gap; marginal papillae medium; few submarginal papillae laterally; dorsal fin, which originates near tail-body junction, forms low to medium arch; white lip line present; coloration variable from uniformly dark to uniformly pale to considerable subtle mottling, fins clear to boldly marked; usually spring breeder in lentic, often temporary sites, east of line connecting northeastern Missouri and central Texas (no accurate means of distinguishing between R. areolata, R. capito, and R. sphenocephala; sympatric: Rana areolata, R. blairi and R. palustris) |
Rana pipiens (part) and R. sphenocephala (part) [B]
SECTION 11. IRIS, TOOTH ROW CONFIGURATIONS, MARGINAL AND SUBMARGINAL PAPILLAE, DORSAL FIN, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A, 2-B, 4-H, and 7-D - LTRF usually 2/3; regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors or patterns described in Section 4 absent; east of Mississippi River - [1-3] -
| A. | iris always with iridophores in life; length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap ca. .5; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.7; P-1 without a medial gap; midventral marginal papillae large; submarginal papillae few to absent; dorsal fin originates near tail-body junction and forms medium arch; white lip line usually absent; variable, depending on turbidity, from uniformly dark to uniformly pale, fins usually clear but may have bold markings; lentic, usually temporary sites, breeds explosively in early spring throughout Mississippi Embayment and Gulf and Atlantic coastal plains (no accurate means of distinguishing between R. areolata, R. capito, and R. pipiens + R. sphenocephala; sympatric: Rana blairi**, R. palustris*, R. pipiens**, and R. sphenocephala**) |
Rana areolata (part) [B] + R. capito [C]
+
| B. | iris usually without iridophores, so eyes appear black in life; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 1.5; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.0; P-1 without medial gap; midventral marginal papillae medium; crowded submarginal papillae laterally; dorsal fin high and originates anterior to tail-body junction; white lip line weak to absent; dorsum of body and tail muscle uniformly pale, often golden in life and tan to gray in preservative; fins without markings; lentic, often turbid sites in central Illinois and adjacent Indiana (sympatric: Rana areolata, R. palustris, and R. pipiens + R. sphenocephala) |
Rana blairi (part) [A]
| C. | iris with iridophore pigmentation; length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap ca. 0.2; P-2/P-3 > 4; P-1 without medial gap; midventral marginal papillae small; submarginal papillae laterally and below P-3; dorsal fin low and originates at tail- body junction, almost parallel with tail muscle; white lip line absent; body and tail muscle olive-brown to russet, belly with large silver blotches in life; summer breeder in lentic and slow- flowing boggy sites in Yellow River drainage of central panhandle of Florida (sympatric: several ranids but Rana clamitans* is only confusing tadpole) |
Rana okaloosae [A]
| D. | iris with iridophores in life; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap 0.2-0.5; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.2; P-1 with medial gap; midventral marginal papillae large; few scattered submarginal papillae laterally; dorsal fin with high arch and originates anterior to tail-body junction; white line absent; ground color of body purplish-black freckled with lighter pigment, tail fin uniformly speckled; white line extending posteriorly from near base of oral disc usually faint; early spring breeder in lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites over much of designated area except for Florida (sympatric: Rana areolata, R. blairi, and R. sphenocephala*) |
Rana palustris (part) [B]
| E. | iris always with iridophores in life; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 0.7; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.5; P-1 without medial gap; midventral marginal papillae medium; few submarginal papillae laterally; dorsal fin originates near tail-body junction and forms low to medium arch; white lip line usually present; coloration variable from uniformly dark to uniformly pale to considerable subtle mottling, fins clear to boldly marked; usually a spring breeder in lentic, often temporary sites north of latitude of north-central Kentucky for R. pipiens and south of that latitude for R. sphenocephala (no accurate means of distinguishing between R. areolata and R. sphenocephala + R. pipiens and between R. pipiens and R. sphenocephala; sympatric: Rana areolata**, R. capito**, R. blairi*, and R. palustris*) |
Rana pipiens (part) [B] + R. sphenocephala (part) [B]
| F. | iris with iridophore pigmentation; length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap ca. 0.6; P-2/P-3 1.5; P-1 without medial gap; midventral marginal papillae small; few submarginal papillae laterally; dorsal fin originates near tail-body junction and forms a long, low arch; white lip line absent; mottled with shades of black, yellow and green, no notable black marks on distal third of tail; summer breeder in lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites north of latitudes of northern Wisconsin and northern Maine (sympatric: Rana catesbeiana, R. clamitans**, and R. pipiens) |
Rana septentrionalis (part) [B]
SECTION 12. LTRF, BODY SHAPE, DORSAL FIN, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Section 1-B - LTRF 2/4 or 3/4; streams or nearby lentic sites west of Rocky Mountains except for R. sylvatica) - [4] -
| A. | LTRF 2-4/4; body depressed; low dorsal fin originates near tail-body junction; dorsum uniformly dark to slightly mottled with clear or speckled fins; rocky to marshy streams and adjacent lentic sites in central Sierra Nevada range and transverse ranges of southern California (sympatric: Rana boylii) |
Rana muscosa [B]
| B. | LTRF 3/4; body depressed to globular; low to high dorsal fin originates at or anterior to tail-body junction; dorsum dark brown to maroon, fins mostly clear of melanic pigment; many kinds of aquatic habitats including marshes, bogs, swamps, slow streams, and temporary pools in Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges and west except for Central Valley of California (sympatric: Rana boylii, R. cascadae*, and R. pretiosa*) |
Rana aurora (part) [B]
| C. | LTRF 3/4; body globular; low dorsal fin originate near tail-body junction; dorsum uniformly brown with minimal markings in dorsal fin; montane marshes, pools and lake margins and slow reaches of low-gradient streams in Olympic Mountains and Cascade Range, southern limit = Mt. Lassen, Shasta Co., California above 700 m (2300 ft) (sympatric: Rana aurora*, R. boylii, R. luteiventris, and R. pretiosa*) |
Rana cascadae (part) [B]
| D. | LTRF 3/4; body globular; high dorsal fin originates at or slightly anterior to tail-body junction; dorsum uniformly dark, fins with no or little markings; breeds early in spring, usually in lentic sites north and east of line connecting southeastern Alaska, southeastern British Columbia and northwestern South Carolina and small adjunct sites in Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri, and Wyoming (sympatric: none) |
Rana sylvatica [A]
