Breeding
of the California Red-Legged Frog

Male and female reproduction takes place between January and February in the San Francisco Bay Area (Jennings 1996) and in late November-April in all other places (USFWS 1997). The Female California Red-Legged Frog is noticeably larger than the male frog.         Females deposit egg masses containing 2,000-6,000 eggs on submerged vegetation. The average mortality and birth rate per year of a complete population is unknown. However, it has been documented that between hatching and metamorphosis, 100% mortality happens when the salinity levels are above 4.5 parts per thousand (Jennings and Hayes 1990). However, those who do survive undergo metamorphosis 3.5 to 7 months after hatching (Storer 1925, Wright and Wright 1949, Jennings and Hayes 1990).