By Larry Halverson/Friends of Kootenay

These eggs were photographed in Kootenay National Park through a thin layer of ice. The water temperature was right around zero degrees Celsius.

Each egg has a narrow layer of jelly and is densely packed into egg masses. The egg masses are deposited in open water, usually in shallow areas near the shoreline. Depending on water temperature, the eggs will hatch tadpoles in 10 – 21 days. Columbia spotted frogs remain as tadpoles for two to three months before undergoing metamorphosis into adult frogs.

Above photo: Columbia Spotted Frog egg masses, May 1, 2013, by Larry Halverson

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