I See Red

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:

1. A cream, white or orange stripe usually extends along the upper lip from beneath the eye to the rear of the jaw.
2. Prominent dorsolateral folds.
3. 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.
4. The skin does not usually look rough or warty.
5. 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.