Meet The Locals: California Red-Legged Frog

Rana draytonii

In 1849, as many know, the world sought out California in the hopes of finding a vein of fortune in the rocks and rivers. It is a story integral to understanding the modern ethos of the state itself, most especially by those who spend little time here. This era brought with it soaring drinking water prices in San Francisco, contributing to a financially hard life for those seeking a fool’s fortune, and those who were caught in the crosshairs of this frenzy by being born and of this place. In a way, it was the overly hyped AI-bubble of its time.

During the days of blasting out mountain sides and sifting through the streams, tearing apart the dry earth of California with immense disregard for this land as it stood, the miners sought sustenance in the wildlands, which they desperately tried to destroy for a pay-out. In these streams, hopping within the freshwater wetlands, and in the mouths of the rivers beside the ocean, the miners found frogs everywhere. These were the red-legged frogs, green and brown frogs no longer than two to three inches, but with bright crimson upper legs and bellies, giving to them their common name. Seeing as frogs were a customary part of many Americans' diets at the time, the 49ers were happy to catch and cook this easy meal. And yet, after only a couple of decades, their numbers were so heavily lowered by consumption and the destruction of the marshes where they lived and worked that these small creatures native to California were almost entirely wiped out in the Central Valley. As their numbers lowered, some people had the brilliant idea to bring from east of the Rocky Mountains the American bullfrog to supplement the lack of red-legged frogs. As time went on, the American bullfrog, a ravenous creature that eats anything that is near it, has outcompeted the red-legged frog, and many other creatures where it finds its home. 

Today, the red-legged frog is incredibly common locally, and has always thrived in coastal marshes far from the hungry hands of prospectors. While still absent in 75% of their historical range, in recent years with conservation efforts across the state, the little hoppers have been making comebacks. Most recently in Yosemite National Park they have successfully been reintroduced. If you’d like to see them closer to home, simply look around at any marsh in the Bay Area where they have always thrived, despite the world around them.