The staff at The Living Planet Aquarium has the great opportunity to work with quite a few sensitive Utah native species. Along with my success in raising Boreal Toads from eggs last year, I am now proud to say that I have some columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris) metamorphs!! This frog is another sensitive species in Utah, and is on the decline in most of their habitat throughout the NW. There are only a few scattered populations left in Utah, and I was able to go out and collect a few partial egg masses back in May during a small snow storm. I now have some that have fully changed and are doing well. Here's a couple shots of the little guys.

One that has just started to resorb his tail


...and the first guy to begin changing, he has almost resorbed his entire tail, and is now eating fruit flies like they're candy


Full grown they will get about 2-3". They are VERY hardy when it comes to changes in water temp and hardness, but are hypersensitive to nitrate levels in the water (anything above 10 mg/L seems to cause developmental problems). This is likely one of the main reasons the wild populations are on the decline; heavy fertilization adding nitrate to the water, and livestock trampling all vegetation along the banks.

These little guys will go onto exhibit with our newly aquired least chub (another Utah sensitive species) in the recently opened Stewartship Hall. I'm very glad I get to be a part of this project, and hope to be able to do this again next year.

Thanks for looking!

-Evan