5 Tips to Identifying a Sub-adult/Adult California Red-legged Frog
On August 9th, Westervelt Ecological Services, in partnership with engineering and environmental consulting firm Dudek, hosted a workshop at Big Gun Conservation Bank, in Placer County, California. The Bank, owned and managed by Westervelt, is home to the largest known California red-legged frog populations in the Sierra Nevada. During the workshop, the Senior Aquatic Ecologist for Dudek, Craig Seltenrich, presented tips on how to identify a sub-adult/adult California red-legged frog. The tips are as follows and correlates with the photo below:
- A cream, white or orange stripe usually extends along the upper lip from beneath the eye to the rear of the jaw.
- Prominent dorsolateral folds.
- Dorsal surface of sub-adult and adult CRLF can appear brown, gray, olive, red or orange, often with a pattern of dark flecks or spots which usually have lighter centers.
- The skin does not usually look rough or warty.
- Abdomen and hind legs of adults are largely red.

Photo taken at Big Gun Conservation Bank and courtesy of Justing Wages from Placer Land Trust.