California Red-legged Frog
Rana draytonii
Photo: Ivan Parr
Introduction
Status
Ecological Requirements
RCIS Regions: All Terrestrial Regions
RCIS Natural Communities: Freshwater Emergent. Wetland, Coastal Oak Woodland, Valley Oak Woodland, Annual Grassland (CDFW 2020)
Breeding aquatic habitat: Aquatic habitats include freshwater streams, deep pools, and backwaters within streams and creeks, ponds, marshes, sag ponds, dune ponds, and lagoons. The species frequently breeds in artificial impoundments such as stock ponds. Breeding adults are often associated with deep (greater than 2 feet), still, or slow-moving water and dense, shrubby riparian or emergent vegetation. Requires 11 to 20 weeks of permanent water for larval development (CDFW 2020, USFWS 2002).
Upland habitat: If water is not available during summer months, will often disperse from breeding habitat. Suitable habitat includes spaces under rocks and organic debris, agricultural features, small mammal burrows, incised stream channels, and moist leaf litter (USFWS 2002).
Dispersal: During the wet season, some individuals may disperse (up to two miles) through upland habitats to return to breeding sites (USFWS 2002).
Susceptible to competition and predation from non-native species, as well as mortality from fungal diseases (Padgett-Flohr 2008, USFWS 2002)
Threatened by incompatible land uses on private lands, incidental impacts of fire suppression practices, and mortality due to vehicle impacts and disease (USFWS 2002)
Full species account available: Recovery Plan for the California Red-legged Frog (Rana aurora draytonii) (USFWS 2002)
RCIS Conservation Target: High (federally listed, limited distribution of breeding habitat)
Associated Non-Focal Species
Range and Modeled Habitat
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
California red-legged frog (CRLF) is at “neutral risk” from climate change across the state (Wright et al. 2013) (Table 5 12.). Most of the climatically suitable habitat in the RCIS area is likely to remain suitable in 2050 (Wright et al. 2013). Although current distribution and habitat suitability is likely to persist, climatic conditions are projected to change enough to reduce habitat suitability on average to make the California red-legged frog a high conservation priority (Wright et al. 2013). The magnitude of these projections in the RCIS area will likely vary based on local conditions.
Climate stressors that may impact the California red-legged frog include increased drought duration and severity as well as extreme precipitation events (USFWS 2002). Early drying of breeding habitat may lead to increased mortality for eggs and larvae, and reduced survival of adults (USFWS 2002). Decreased flows, coupled with agricultural and urban water demands, may result in increased water salinity (USFWS 2002).
Conservation Strategies
California Red-legged Frog Goals, Objectives, and Actions
There are 56 proposed actions. For complete goals, objectives and actions explanations see the complete table of conservation strategies in the RCIS PDF.
Species Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal CRLF 1
Promote persistence of California red-legged frog populations in the RCIS area through protection, restoration, and enhancement of habitat.Objective CRLF 1.1
Protect known occurrences and allow for expansion by protecting 8,200 acres of suitable habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the number of breeding creeks and ponds, acres of adjacent upland habitat and associated/equivalent acres protected.Action CRLF 1.1.1
Support local zoning regulations that prevent incompatible uses of occupied and unoccupied suitable breeding and upland habitat (USFWS 2002).
Objective CRLF 1.2
Enhance occupied, suitable, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service -designated critical habitat for California red-legged frog throughout the RCIS area, especially in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service core areas (Elkhorn Slough, Carmel River – Santa Lucia, and Gabilan Range) (USFWS 2002). Measure progress towards achieving this objective by acres of breeding, dispersal, and upland habitat and adjacent/equivalent acres enhanced and occupied by California red-legged frog.Action CRLF 1.2.1
Remove non-native invasive species at sites where they are known to occur by making changes to pond hydrology or by temporarily draining ponds. Areas that may benefit include Fort Hunter Ligget (San Antonio and Nacimiento drainages) (USFWS 2002).
Action CRLF 1.2.2
Develop and implement fire management guidelines that promote California red-legged frog habitat and populations (USFWS 2002).
Action CRLF 1.2.3
Improve management of breeding habitat to prevent sea water inundation by restoring natural hydrology to coastal sloughs (USFWS 2002).
Action CRLF 1.2.4
Improve management of flood control infrastructure to reduce negative impacts, such as channelization and vegetation management, to California red-legged frog breeding and dispersal habitat.
Action CRLF 1.2.5
Manage upland vegetation structure and density to support California red-legged frogs.
Action CRLF 1.2.6
Manage aquatic pond vegetation to support California red-legged frogs.
Objective CRLF 1.3
Restore occupied, suitable, or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service -designated habitat for California red-legged frog and create new habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by acres of restored or created habitat and adjacent/equivalent acres, and by the number of breeding ponds restored or created.Action CRLF 1.3.1
Increase the amount of California red-legged frog breeding habitat in creeks through the creation of more plunge pools and slow-water habitats by incorporating these features in restoration designs in breeding habitat in creeks, as well as the creation of artificial ponds in areas with suitable upland habitat. This includes to promotion of natural water flow regimes and vegetative cover in streams and creeks (USFWS 2002).
Action CRLF 1.3.2
At Fort Ord, restore and manage East Garrison Pond, and at least one additional aquatic feature totaling at least 2 acres (FORA 2018).
Goal CRLF 2
Support stability and recovery of California red-legged frog populations in the RCIS area through measures to reduce direct mortality factors.Objective CRLF 2.1
Reduce vehicle-related mortality factors. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the reduction of vehicle-related California red-legged frog deaths detected compared to present day.Action CRLF 2.1.1
Install infrastructure to promote wildlife movement through roadways (e.g., wildlife tunnels, overpasses) to reduce road mortality in transportation corridors with high number of vehicle-related California red-legged frog mortality. Focus on areas adjacent to known breeding locations and protected habitats.
Objective CRLF 2.2
Reduce pathogen-related mortality factors. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the reduction of disease-related California red-legged frog deaths detected compared to present day (USFWS 2002).Action CRLF 2.2.1
Monitor for diseases that impact California red-legged frog populations and implement management actions to reduce their transmission and impact on the species.
Action CRLF 2.2.2
Sterilize all equipment entering known or suitable California red-legged frog breeding habitat to prevent introduction of disease.
Action CRLF 2.2.3
Monitor known and potential breeding habitats for presence of pathogens through traditional and environmental DNA (eDNA) methods.
Regional Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal RC 1
Sustain resilient, connected natural communities for the full range of native species, habitats, and ecological functions in the RCIS area through the protection of large blocks of continuous habitat supporting sensitive species.Objective RC 1.1
Protect and preserve existing intact non-marine habitats and resources and allow for expansion of habitat by protecting suitable or occupied habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the number of acres of habitat and adjacent/associated acres protected.Action RC 1.1.1
Acquire parcels with suitable habitat through fee title purchase or conservation easement.
Action RC 1.1.2
Conduct surveys using eDNA and/or traditional survey methods in suitable or potentially suitable habitat to locate undocumented occurrences of focal species and other conservation elements and opportunities for habitat protection, enhancement, restoration, and creation (USFWS 2008).
Action RC 1.1.3
Create and sustain long-term funding for protected areas maintenance.
Action RC 1.1.4
Establish an incentive program for private landowners to protect occurrences and manage habitat.
Action RC 1.1.5
Protect populations from impacts from construction, vegetation management, and/or activities, including by surveying areas such as roads/trails and implementing species protection measures.
Objective RC 1.2
Enhance occupied and suitable habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by number of acres of habitat enhanced and/or occupied.Action RC 1.2.1
Manage current and future recreation access including off-road vehicles, biking, equestrian, foot traffic, and unleashed pets to reduce impacts and disturbance to sensitive species and habitats. Ensure recreation is compatible with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences. Enforcement and fencing may be used to prevent illegal off-road vehicle use (USFWS 2010).
Action RC 1.2.10
Work with private landowners and stakeholders to research species biology, threats, populations, densities, and/or ranges.
Action RC 1.2.11
Create/enhance connections between ecologically required habitat types, such as between aquatic breeding and upland dispersal habitats.
Action RC 1.2.2
Control non-native invasive species from occupied and/or suitable habitat, and areas designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as critical habitat throughout the RCIS area.
Action RC 1.2.3
Reduce/eliminate pesticide, rodenticide (especially first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides), and herbicide use, including for roadside vegetation removal projects as part of integrated pest management efforts in identified suitable habitat, and sensitive natural communities. Promote alternative pest reduction methods, such as promoting natural predator populations (Ventura County Public Works Agency 2017).
Action RC 1.2.4
Minimize impacts from native and non-native predator populations that have increased due to anthropogenic factors, including through educational outreach and trainings on how to safely coexist with native predators and predator removal programs where appropriate.
Action RC 1.2.5
Reduce anthropogenic impacts on habitat, including infrastructure construction and maintenance, inappropriate grazing, uncontrolled grazing, or overgrazing, off-road vehicles, foot traffic, fire suppression, recreational development and activities, non-native plants, and sand mining
Action RC 1.2.6
Manage infrastructure construction and maintenance projects, including transportation, solar energy facilities and projects on military properties, to be compatible for sensitive species.
Action RC 1.2.7
Manage grazing, including the installation of wildlife-friendly fencing, to ensure it is compatible with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences. Grazing in sensitive natural communities, public lands should be reduced.
Action RC 1.2.8
Reduce trash dumping in areas with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences.
Action RC 1.2.9
Enhance and restore native vegetation in occupied habitat and suitable but unoccupied habitat.
Goal RC 2
Promote persistence of species and important natural communities through the establishment and improvement of habitat connectivity in the RCIS area.Objective RC 2.1
Establish and improve habitat connectivity between large blocks of suitable habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the number of improved connectivity corridors used by sensitive species.Action RC 2.1.1
Install, repair, and improve infrastructure, such as adding large culverts, under crossings, overcrossings, bridges, directional fencing, scuppers, barrier breaks, roadside animal detection systems, sound barriers, limiting lighting at constructed or natural linkages and remove existing barriers to promote wildlife movement and reduce road mortality (Yap and Rose 2019). Focus on areas with high numbers of vehicle-related mortality, areas with high Area of Conservation Emphasis Terrestrial Connectivity rankings and include areas to create corridor redundancy.
Action RC 2.1.2
Enhance habitat on either side of crossing structures, including protecting adjacent areas, restricting human activity nearby, etc.
Action RC 2.1.3
Create and sustain long-term funding for long-term management of crossings, including acquisition and maintenance of adjacent habitat where suitable.
Action RC 2.1.4
Work with transportation districts or others to collect and analyze roadkill data to identify hotspots where mortality occurs to inform the design of wildlife crossing infrastructure improvements (Yap and Rose 2019).
Water Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal Water 1
Improve conditions of water resources, aquatic and riparian habitats, and connectivity throughout the RCIS area through enhancement and restoration.Objective Water 1.1
Improve freshwater aquatic and riparian habitat conditions in areas with sensitive species and habitats. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the improvement and restoration of aquatic and riparian conditions (inundation duration, water depth, water chemical composition, stream substrate composition and/or stream characterization, habitat structure, native species diversity, percent cover), water quality, and connectivity of water resources.Action Water 1.1.1
Reduce water pollutants such as fine sediments, pesticides, herbicides, sewage effluent, and other non-point and point source waste discharges, including through development and implementation of stormwater policy and infrastructure.
Action Water 1.1.3
Improve quality of wetland habitats and create new wetland habitats, including through invasive species control, increased water period, and recontouring to enhance proper elevation, etc.
Action Water 1.1.5
Minimize impacts to water resources from construction, military activities, and agricultural practices.
Action Water 1.1.6
Reduce introduction of sediments in creek channels from bank erosion, livestock grazing, timber harvestings, unpaved roads and trails, and recreation.
Action Water 1.1.7
Improve and expand existing riparian and upland buffers and create new buffers where they are lacking around stream and wetland habitats, as well as connectivity corridors between heterogeneous habitats. A qualified biologist and the best available science should determine buffer distances.
Action Water 1.1.8
Preserve and protect intact aquatic and riparian resources where protection is lacking.
Objective Water 1.2
Improve appropriate hydrology and hydrological functions to support sensitive species and habitats. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the improvement of hydrological indicators such as water depth, stream flow, water temperature and chemical composition.Action Water 1.2.1
Moderate extreme water temperature fluctuations by controlling water flow regimes downstream of impoundments, water diversions, and residential or industrial developments.
Action Water 1.2.2
Ensure releases from water storage and diversion facilities maintain surface flows necessary for all life history stages of sensitive species (NMFS 2013).
Action Water 1.2.3
Maintain appropriate management of flood-control activities (both routine and emergency) to be compatible with sensitive species (NMFS 2013).
Action Water 1.2.4
Restore hydrological functions of waterways to mimic natural flow, temperature regimes, and sediment loads where feasible (Hayes et al. 2016).
Action Water 1.2.5
Develop and implement operating criteria to ensure the pattern and magnitude of groundwater extractions and water releases provide essential ecological functions.
Amphibian Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal Amphibian 1
Promote persistence of amphibian populations in the RCIS area through habitat protection, restoration, and enhancementObjective Amphibian 1.1
Enhance occupied and suitable habitat for focal amphibians throughout the RCIS area. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the acres of habitat and adjacent/associated acres enhanced and/or occupied.Action Amphibian 1.1.1
Manage for suitable vegetation structure surrounding breeding and upland habitat to support appropriate vegetative cover for breeding and amphibians.
Action Amphibian 1.1.2
Manage grazing (e.g., fencing, seasonal timing, stocking rates) and wildfire fuel reduction practices to benefit amphibians.
Action Amphibian 1.1.3
Reduce/eliminate the use of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, petroleum products, and other chemicals near breeding and upland habitats, including collaboration with mosquito abatement divisions to prevent negative impacts from mosquito abatement activities (USFWS 1999, 2019a). Wildlife-friendly alternative, such as installation of bat boxes and nesting boxes for insectivorous birds, near ponds and wetlands could provide insect control.
Action Amphibian 1.1.4
Reduce sources of sedimentation (e.g., bank erosion, livestock grazing, timber harvestings, unpaved roads and trails, and recreation) near known and potential breeding ponds and remove excess sedimentation where feasible (USFWS 2019a).
Action Amphibian 1.1.5
Remove non-native aquatic species such as bullfrogs, mosquitofish, other non-native predatory fish, and non-native turtles from breeding ponds, stream segments, and artificial ponds (USFWS 2002). This includes managing hydrology to decrease suitability for non-native species. Removal of non-native upland species, such as trapping of feral pigs (Sus scrofa), will protect ponds/wetlands and listed amphibian species (Seward et al. 2004).
Action Amphibian 1.1.6
Manage for appropriate ephemeral breeding pond hydrology and phenology.
Action Amphibian 1.1.7
Work with private landowners of known breeding locations to promote positive management of those sites, including maintaining natural hydrology, limiting non-native species, and conducting appropriate management of upland habitats (USFWS 2009).
Action Amphibian 1.1.8
Manage breeding pond hydrology to control for aquatic predator populations.
Objective Amphibian 1.2
Restore occupied and suitable habitat and create new habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective in acres of habitat and adjacent/associated acres restored or created habitat and number of breeding ponds.Action Amphibian 1.2.1
Establish native emergent and other biologically suitable vegetation in suitable ponds and wetlands to provide cover where little or none exists.
Action Amphibian 1.2.2
Establish native vegetation with suitable density and structure in upland habitats within dispersal distance of known breeding locations.
Action Amphibian 1.2.3
Create suitable breeding habitat, such as artificial perennial and/or ephemeral ponds within the dispersal distance of known breeding locations.
Action Amphibian 1.2.4
Create suitable upland habitat within dispersal distance of known and suitable breeding habitat.