Threatened Status
of the California Red-Legged Frog



        Before 1996 the California Red-Legged Frog was a species of Special Concern. As early as 1992 Jennings, Hayes, and Holland petitioned for the California Red-Legged Frog to be added to the Threatened and Endangered Species List. The main reasons for their concern were:
  • Loss of Habitat
  • Habitat alteration
  • habitat fragmentation
  • introduced species
  • exotic predators

    After consideration of the petition, the California Red-Legged Frog was listed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as threatened on June 24, 1996.

            The California Red-Legged Frog is currently recognized as a species of Special Concern by the state and is federally listed as a Threatened species. The California Red-Legged frog is threatened because of the following reasons:
  • Overexploitation,
  • Urbanization
  • Extirpation (in the Central Valley of California)
  • Stream Channelization
  • Introduction of paved roadways and reservoirs.

    The three primary factors leading to the 70 percent reduction in the California Red-Legged Frog population is due to (1) water diversion, (2) introduction of exotic/predatory species, and (3) habitat alteration.