Biodiversity Freshwater

SHAPE of Nature - State of Canada's Frogs

WCS Canada

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Nearly half of Canada’s frog species are at risk.

Key points

• Nearly 50% of Canada’s frogs are at risk
• BC and Alberta have the highest number of at-risk frog species.
• The greatest threats to Canada’s at-risk frogs are habitat loss, pollution, and road mortality.

Abstract

• The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has assessed 45% (13) of Canada’s frog species as at risk (Endangered, Threatened, or Special Concern) (Attachment 1). One species (Blanchard’s Cricket Frog) was last confirmed in the early 1970s and is probably extirpated from Canada.
• BC and Alberta have the highest number of at-risk frog species (Figure 1). Eight frog species are restricted to a single province.
• Ontario has the greatest diversity of frog species in Canada. BC and Manitoba also have a high number of species (Figure 1).
• Only one species of frog found in Canada, Oregon Spotted Frog, is on the IUCN Red List of the Threatened Species.
• Threats to frogs in Canada vary among species. The main threats include loss of wetlands from land conversion to agricultural or residential development, timber harvest, road mortality, invasive species, pollution, and emerging diseases.
• Frogs rely on both water and land habitat during their lifespan making them particularly sensitive to changes in their environment. Climate change may increase the risk of extinction as some species (e.g., Great Basin Spadefoot) experience drought conditions that reduce pond and wetland habitat needed for breeding.
• There are effective conservation actions to help reduce the threats to frogs in Canada including installing passages along roadways, captive breeding programs, and protecting and restoring frog habitats, particularly wetlands. Long-term monitoring programs are also needed to get a better understanding of population dynamics of at-risk frogs.

Recommended citation

WCS Canada (2024). SHAPE of Nature - State of Canada's Frogs. WCS Canada. https://wcscanada.org/resources/shape-of-nature-frogs/