Abstract
Conservation of the threatened species plays a critical role in ensuring that these species remain alive to be experienced and seen by the future generation. The California red-legged frog is listed among Endangered Species Act as in California. It was listed among the threatened species in the year 1996. The species is at a higher risk of being extinct hence the reason for being considered as an endangered species that should be protected and conserved (1). The paper will discuss the California red-legged frog as one of the species found in California.
Identifying Characteristics
The California red-legged frog is a large native frog that lives in the western US, and its ranges from roughly 1.75 to 5.25 inches from the snout’s tip to the vent. When focused from above, the frog seemingly appear to be orange, brown, red or even grey with a pattern of fairly dark spots (1). Its back is further borders on each side by the prominent ridge that runs from its jip to the eye. Its hind legs are perfectly-developed with significantly larger and webbed feet. An orange or white strip also extends on the upper lip from below the eyes to the jaw’s rear (2). Its underside mostly is white but might have patches of orange or red on the hind legs and abdomen. Finally, on the regions around the groin, there might be bold black molting with white or even yellow background.
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Geographic Ranges
The frog species has been reported to have successfully sustained the 70 percent overall reductions in their geographic ranges due to various factors that act singly or in combination. Currently, there are only a few drainages that have been proven to support this species in the Sierra Nevada foothills, then approximately 60 historical records (2). Throughout the southern California, the frog has vanished from Los Angeles regions south extending towards the Mexican border. The other well-known population in Los Angeles is found in San Francisquito Canyon.
Life History
They often tend to spend the greater part of their lives under a sheltered stream, ponds, reservoir or springs. Some of its optimal habitats include the intermixed fringe of cattails and dense stands of suspended willows. The egg, larvae, transformed juvenile and adult has further been evident within the ephemeral drainages, creeks and around ponds that have been shown to contain no riparian vegetation. Sheltered habitat accessibility is one of the most critical factors for the survival of this species within watersheds; however, this might also be a limiting factor to the distribution and population numbers (2). Adult from was reported to have moved about two miles in the northern Santa Cruz County without regarding riparian corridors, landscape or even type of vegetation. However, such movements often occur during the night time.
California red-legged frogs further tend to breed between November and March, but records have shown that breeding also occurs in the southern regions. The frog is typically a prolific breeder where they lay their eggs during abundant rainfall during early spring or late winter. The embryo will hatch about six to 14 days upon fertilisation process, and the larvae will require roughly 3-7 months obtaining metamorphosis. The larvae tend to experience highest rates of the entire life phases with about less than one percent of all eggs laid reaching metamorphosis. The frog’s sexually maturity mostly will be arrived at around 3 to 4 years, and they might live for approximately ten years (3). The young ones are primarily active nocturnally and diurnally while the adults are specifically nocturnal.
California red-legged frog diet is readily available in the regions where they live. Mostly, the invertebrates forms the frog’s common food item; however, the vertebrates like the California mice and the Pacific chorus frogs can also comprise of about half the entire prey mass consumed by larger frogs. Finally, the larvae generally will feed on the algae (3).
General Habitat Features
The California red-legged frog demand diverse elements of habitats with the aquatic locale for breeding embed in a matrix of the upland and riparian scattering habitat. The California’s breeding areas for these specifies are within the aquatic habitats such as springs, streams, lagoons, sag ponds, ponds, dune ponds and marshes (4). They further breed in the artificial impoundments like the stock pond. Small mammal burrows, upland habitats downed woody vegetation, and the leaf litter all provide a habitat that offers protection to these frogs from predators and further prevents desiccation.
Population and Habitat Status
History range of this species is depicted as expanding throughout the coastal regions from Point Reyes National Seashore’s vicinity in Marin County and City of Redding’s vicinity in Shast County (4). Research has shown that the listing rule describes well-integrated zones northern red-legged and California red-legged frogs. Which further extend significantly from Walker Creek watershed in Marin County to southern Mendocino County. Researchers on this species have shown that the intergraded zone between northern red-legged frogs and California red-legged frogs probably occurs in very narrow geographic regions. In addition to this, California red-legged frogs apparently extend from approximately 60 miles northwards. The species also occurs in Gualala, Point Arena and Garcia.
Threats
Numerous factors have linked to the declining population of this species such as overgrazing, agriculture, water diversions, and degradation of habitat, pesticide use, non-native plants, recreation, mining and timber harvesting. Research has also found that the reason for the declining numbers and the level of threats tend to vary significantly by the geographic location. The populations of the species are primarily threatened by more than a single factor in almost every area (4).
Needs for Conservation
The California red-legged frog plans for recovery presents a clear measure critical for the species’ recovery (4). The primary objective of the recovery plan include, to re-establish populations of the species in their historic regions, protection of the existing population through reduction of threats, surveying and monitoring the remaining population and carrying out research on biology and threat to them and finally, to restore and create new habitats to protect and manage them in perpetuity.
Cited References
epa.gov. Habitat Definitions for California Red-Legged Frog. 2017. Retrieved from
https://www.epa.gov/endangered-species/habitat-definitions-california-red-legged-frog
epa.gov. How to Comply with Requirements to Protect California Red-legged Frog from Pesticides. 2017. Retrieved from
https://www.epa.gov/endangered-species/how-comply-requirements-protect-california- red-legged-frog-pesticides
draytonii, R.,. California Red-Legged Frog. 2017. Retrieved from https://www.fws.gov/sacramento/es_species/Accounts/Amphibians-Reptiles/es_ca-red- legged-frog.htm
sierraforestlegacy.org. California Red-legged frog ( Rana aurora draytonii ). 2017. Retrieved from https://www.sierraforestlegacy.org/FC_SierraNevadaWildlifeRisk/CaliforniaRed- leggedfrog.php
