Status (as of 1996): THREATENEDCalifornia red-legged frogs grow to be 1.5 to 5.1 inches in length. They are brown to reddish brown on their topside with irregular black spots, sometimes with light centers. The undersides of adults are usually white with patches of bright red or orange on the abdomen and hind legs.
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Threats to the Species |
Range and Habitat
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Invasive Species: Non-native bullfrogs in California eat many California red-legged frogs.
Habitat Loss: Agriculture, urbanization, mining, overgrazing, recreation, timber harvesting, non-native plants. Overexploitation: Water resources are overused, depleting frogs of the water habitat they need for homes and breeding. Water Salinity: Most significant mortality factor in the pre hatching stage in coastal lagoons. Pesticides: Some herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides pose hazards to its aquatic life stages. |
Habitat: Aquatic/riparian; Adults require dense, shrubby or emergent riparian vegetation closely associated with deep (>2 ft.) still or slow moving water, including farm ponds in isolated areas.
Range: Coastal drainages of central California, from Marin County, California, south to northern Baja California, Mexico |
BehaviorDisperse upstream and downstream of their breeding habitat to forage and seek temporary terrestrial retreats. In the summer, they seek cover in small mammal burrows and moist leaf litter during the day. Those found in coastal drainages are active all year, whereas those found in interior sites might hibernate.
Prey: Adults will eat just about anything they can catch and fit in their mouths. Most of the time they eat terrestrial invertebrates, but on occasion, smaller amphibians and mammals, e.g. Pacific Tree Frogs and California Mice. Larvae eat algae. Predators: Bitterns and black-crowned night herons are predators of adults; juveniles (more active diurnally and less wary than adults) eaten by great blue heron and some species of garter snakes (e.g. San Francisco garter snake); raccoons; American bullfrogs. |
Life CycleNov - Apr
Mating: Lay 2,000 – 5,000 dark reddish brown eggs during/shortly after large rainfall events in late winter/early spring on vegetation near water surface. Summer Larvae metamorphosis: 3.5 – 7 months after hatching. 3 - 4 Years Sexual maturity reached. 8 - 10 Years Lifespan |
Resources
- Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office. "California Red-legged Frog Species Profile."U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Apr. 2011. Web.
- 2.Recovery Plan for the California Red-Legged Frog (Rana aurora draytonii). California Department of Pesticide Regulations. California Department of Pesticide Regulations, 2013. Web.
- "Species Accounts - Amphibians." California Department of Fish and Wildlife. California Department of Fish and Wildlife, n.d. Web.
- "Species Profile for California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii)." ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, n.d. Web.