Endangered for both northern and southern distinct population segments

(fws.org)

U.S. Endangered Species Act; California Endangered Species Act

(wildlife.ca.gov)

They are threatened by dams, grazing, recreation, timber harvesting, and road construction which are all destroying their habitats. Also, climate change, wildfires, drought, and introductions of non-native species are all putting stress on the frog’s numbers (fws.org).

The northern distinct population segment is located in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains and also extends from Fresno County, in the western Sierra Nevada, through parts of the Kern River drainage. The southern distinct population segment is in the Transverse Ranges in southern California (fws.org).

Mountain Yellow-legged Frog Unofficial Survey Guidelines (wrc-rca.org)

Mountain Yellow-legged Frog (northern DPS) Minimum Qualifications (fws.gov)

Mountain yellow-legged frogs reside in ponds, lakes, marshes, streams, and meadows at elevations of 4,500-12,000 feet in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains (for the northern distinct population segment), as well as canyons of the Transverse Ranges (for the southern distinct population segment). Tadpoles feed on algae, and adults feed on invertebrates, such as insects, and other amphibians. Adults forage for their prey in shallow waters, on the shore, and at the bottoms of ponds, streams, or lakes. They take 3-4 years to reach sexual maturity. Adults go to breeding sites following snowmelt after overwintering. They breed in the shallow areas of ponds, lakes, and inlet streams. Their life span is unknown, but it is suspected that they have a long life (fws.org).

There is a lack of research in the drought/increased temperatures of their water habitats and how this may affect either breeding seasons or survival in general. Studies such as survival of areas of increased drought vs. those with more water would help to understand this.

Draft Recovery Plan for the Southern DPS Mountain Yellow-legged Frog (fws.gov)

Adults tend to have a mix of brown and yellow on their upper body with dark spots on their back, but can also be a range of red, gray, and greenish brown. Their bellies and undersides of their hind limbs can be yellow or light orange (fws.org).

Mountain Yellow-legged Frog (Rana muscosa) | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (fws.gov)

Mountain Yellow-legged Frog Threats and Status | California Department of Fish & Wildlife (wildlife.ca.gov)