Amphibians

Quick Facts

• 8 species of Amphibians live within the park- 4 toad species, 2 frog species, and 2 salamander species.
• Most reptiles spend their entire lives on land, but amphibians must spend at least part of their life in the water. For example, frogs and toads begin their lives as tadpoles, which live in pools and springs.
• No amphibians have scales, and many have a moist skin covered with mucous.

 

Canyon tree frog tadpoles are found in most of the streams in the Grand Canyon.

NPS Robb Hannawacker

 

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Species Attribute Definitions

Definitions

Occurrence

Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.

Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.

Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.

Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.

Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.

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Occurrence Tags

Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.

False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.

Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.

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Abundance

Abundant:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
• Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.

Common:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
• Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.

Uncommon:

• Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
• Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.

Rare:

• Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
• Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.

Occasional:

• Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
• Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).

Unknown: Abundance unknown

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Nativeness

Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.

Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.

Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.

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List Differences

The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.

The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.

The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.

Select a Park:

Grand Canyon National Park

Select a Species Category (optional):

All Amphibians Birds Fish Mammals Reptiles Vascular Plants

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Species attribute definitions

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Amphibians are important species that live throughout Grand Canyon National Park. They are predators of many invertebrate and vertebrate species, and are also an important food source for fish, reptiles, mammals, and birds. Amphibians are very sensitive to environmental change, and are some of the first species to go extinct when a habitat is changed. Because of this, studying amphibians can provide important information about the health of the Grand Canyon ecosystem. Across the world, amphibian species are threatened with extinction and declines in population. Some of the largest threats to amphibians are habitat destruction, poisoning by human chemicals, and introduced species. The protected habitat of the Grand Canyon is an important refuge for these fragile species, where they can continue to exist and thrive.

Please observe amphibians from a distance. Amphibians absorb chemicals through their skin, meaning that they can be poisoned by the sunscreen and bug spray on your hands.

 

Canyon Tree Frog

NPS K.Kingsley

Canyon Tree Frog
This species is widely-distributed in Arizona outside of the Sonoran and Mohave Deserts.

 

Northern Leopard Frog

AZGFD R.Babb

Northern Leopard Frog

One of the most wide ranging frog species, northern leopard frogs were once common in the Grand Canyon, but have undergone major declines and have not been seen in the Canyon in several years.

 

Red-Spotted Toad

USFWS Jim Rorabaugh

Red-Spotted Toad
This toad is found from southern Nevada to southwestern Kansas, south to Hidalgo, Mexico, and throughout Baja California.

 

Woodhouse Toad

NPS Volunteer

Woodhouse Toad
These toads live throughout Arizona except for in the arid, western deserts. They are especially common near the Havasupai Gardens and Phantom Ranch Campgrounds.

 

More about the Frogs and Toads found within Grand Canyon National Park >

 

Tiger Salamander

NPS Paul Kister

Tiger Salamander
They are also the most wide-ranging salamander species in North America, living throughout most of the United States, southern Canada, and eastern Mexico.

 

More Information

Arizona's Amphibians. Arizona Game and Fish