Amphibian · GBIF taxon 2426756
California Red-legged Frog
Rana draytoniiCalifornia red-legged frogs hold the title of the largest native frog in the western United States, easily recognized by the rich crimson wash covering their lower abdomen and hind legs. They thrive in quiet pools, stock ponds, and slow streams fringed with cattails and bulrushes, leaping into deep water at the slightest disturbance. During wet winter nights, adults travel over a mile across moist uplands between breeding ponds and summer refuges.
AmphibianAquaticThreatened
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Near ThreatenedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNear ThreatenedRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Insects
- Pacific Tree Frog
- Aquatic Snails
Predators
- American Bullfrog
- Great Blue Heron
- Garter Snake
ThreatsHabitat loss, invasive bullfrog predation, disease, urban development
HabitatsPonds, slow streams, freshwater marshes, riparian woodlands
Life span8–10 years
Classification
- FamilyRanidae
- SpeciesRana draytonii
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Look for a brown to reddish body with dark mask markings and deep red skin under the legs.
- Support conservation
- Keep a respectful distance along stream banks and never touch or disturb individuals.
Responsible observation
- Observation: Scan shoreline vegetation quietly with a flashlight on humid spring evenings.
- Biosecurity: Clean and dry footwear between wetlands to avoid spreading deadly amphibian pathogens.
- Legal Protection: Observe from a distance without capturing or handling this protected amphibian.
Invasive Competitor Carl D. Howe / CC BY-SA 2.5 · cc-by-sa
Co-Occurring Native (c) dloarie, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by dloarie · cc-by
Prey Species The High Fin Sperm Whale / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) born1945, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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