Amphibians are ectotherms (cold-blooded) that require relatively mild temperatures to survive. In Alaska, they hibernate in the winter to cope with low temperatures and are primarily restricted to Southeast Alaska. Only the cold-adapted wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) extends into interior Alaska. Alaska is home to six native amphibians: one newt (Taricha granulosa), two species of salamander (Ambystoma gracile and Ambystoma macrodactylum), two frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus, Rana luteiventris), and one toad (Anaxyrus boreas). Three non-native species have also been documented: the Pacific tree frog (Pseudacris regilla), the northern-legged frog (Rana aurora), and the Oregon spotted frog (Rana pretiosa).

The Alaska Center for Conservation Science (ACCS) compiled occurrence records of both native and non-native amphibian species in Alaska based on submissions from researchers and citizen scientists. The dataset includes spatial coordinates for all records as well as observation date, life stage, and type of record. It was last updated in May 2016.

The Alaska Species Ranking System includes peer-reviewed, conservation assessments for all native amphibians. For global occurrence records, visit VertNet.

Photo credit: Josh Ream