Description
of the California Red-Legged Frog

The California Red-Legged Frog (Rana aurora draytonii) is the largest native amphibian found in the state of California and in the western part of the United States. The California Red-Legged frog is one of two subspecies of the red-legged frog (Rana aurora) found on the Pacific Coast (Wright and Wright 1949). The sizes of the California Red-Legged Frog ranges from 4-13 cm (Stebbins 1985).         The abdomen and hind legs of adults are largely red; the back is characterized by small black flecks and larger irregular dark blotches with indistinct outlines on a brown, gray, olive or reddish background color (Stebbins 1985). Adults age ranges between 3-10 years of age.         Tadpoles are between 14 and 80 mm in length, usually dark brown in color with small metallic like flecks. The ventral surface of the tadpole or larvae is generally brassy to pink in color (Cyphers and McCauley unknown). Eggs are the largest known for any North American frog. The average egg mass is between 15 and 25 cm in diameter, with each egg having a diameter of 3 mm (Cyphers and McCauley unknown).