California Red-Legged Frog by Elijah Williams

     The California Red-Legged Frog, or Rana Aurora Draytonii, is a large frog endemic to California. It is typically identified by the color of it’s back legs, which typically range from reddish to dark brown. The backside of the rear legs, which can be seen from above, are covered with black spots. The facial area is covered with a dark mask that is contrasted with a tan stripe that runs across the entire frog, from shoulder to shoulder.
    Ranging from 2-5 inches in length, the California Red-Legged Frog carries the district title of being the largest Native frog in the western United States. It is worth noting that the size of this frog leads to it’s misidentification as a Toad or invasive species of frog [Stebbins].
   

       Although the frog has been spotted throughout almost all of California, it is important to not that frog populations can be spread very quickly and without longterm survey data, it is very difficult to measure the full species use of a given area. It is believed that populations existed in the entire state, what would currently amount to 46 counties. They are currently only known to be present in 26, focused largely in the upper San Francisco bay and Central Coast [U.S. Fish and Wildlife].
    Ecologically, the frog uses its surroundings in a variety of ways. Single frogs have been observed spending their entire lifetimes in a single location, while others have completed there life cycles in a variety of locations. While adult frogs are very nocturnal, adolescent frogs are know to be extremely active during the day and night. The frogs diet is also extremely versatile, including everything from mice to insects and even other frogs. As a population at large, other than egg laying periods (March-April), is very reactive to its environment and is known to change its behavioral patterns over years even in the same location.
    The California Red-Legged Frog was listed as Threatened on 9/12/2002, after a long history of exploitation and endangerment lasting throughout much of the 19th and 20th century.

    The main treat to the California Red-Legged Frog has been Urbanization and the creation of large highways along the California coast. The separation of large habitat swaths by way of the highways has left populations small and sensitive to random environmental factors. Urbanization has caused many of the streams that these small populations reside in to become polluted and altered, which has devastated populations in the larger Los Angles area in particular [US Fish and Wildlife].
    The Recovery Plan includes measures focused mostly on the reuniting of fragmented populations throughout the state. The populations are located in cores in the largely undisturbed coastal areas that still remain throughout the state. This program focuses on studying and reuniting the core populations that will create satellite populations to help restore the population and overcome the adverse effects of urbanization and habitat destruction [Stebbins, Kriger]. 
    In order to help care for the frogs I recommend staying up to date and questioning the building of large urban developments in your community. Because the areas are so sensitive and small, it is important to question the introduction of these spaces into any ecosystem, not just allowing for the convenience of a mall to destroy the natural beauty around you.
   


Sources:
    Kriger, Kerry. "California Red-Legged FrogRana Draytonii." California Red-Legged Frog. SAVETHEFROGS.COM, n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.

    Stebbins, Robert. "California Red-Legged Frog." NWF. N.p., n.d. Web.

    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2002. Recovery Plan for the California Red-legged Frog (Rana Aurora Draytonii ). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, Oregon. viii + 173 pp.

(all photos courtesy of SAVETHEFROGS.COM)