Habitat
of the California Red-Legged Frog

The California Red-Legged Frog lives in a dual environment, spending time in an aquatic and a riparian habitat. During each stage in the California Red-Legged Frog’s lifecycle they require different habitats. The adults require dense, shrubby or emergent riparian vegetation closely associated with deep (>0.7 m) still or slow moving water (Hayes and Jennings 1988). Many California Red-Legged Frogs prefer to live in well-vegetated ponds.         However, encroachment and greater urban sprawl has previously drained ponds and areas in which the California Red-Legged Frog lives. This has helped to further decline the population of the California Red-Legged Frog. California Red-Legged frogs live in small mammal burrows and moist leaf litter in well-vegetated terrestrial areas where the frogs habitat may provide winter shelter. California Red-Legged frogs disperse up and down stream foraging and looking for suitable habitat (Cyphers and McCauley unknown.)