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Phenotypic plasticity provides means for adapting to environmental unpredictability. In terms of accelerated development in the face of pond‐drying risk, phenotypic plasticity has been demonstrated in many amphibian species, but two issues of evolutionary interest remain unexplored. First, the heritable basis of plastic responses is poorly established. Second, it is not known whether interpopulational differences in capacity to respond to pond‐drying risk exist, although such differences, when matched with differences in desiccation risk would provide strong evidence for local adaptation. We investigated sources of within‐ and among‐population variation in plastic responses to simulated pond‐drying risk (three desiccation treatments) in two Rana temporaria populations originating from contrasting environments: (1) high desiccation risk with weak seasonal time constraint (southern population); and (2) low …