Drayton's Frog
Rana draytonii
The California red-legged frog is a species of frog found in California (USA) and northern Baja California (Mexico). It was formerly considered a subspecies of the northern red-legged frog.
Photo: iNaturalist: (c) J. Maughn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by J. Maughn
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Amphibia
Order
Anura
Family
Ranidae
Genus
Rana
Drayton's Frog belongs to the family Ranidae, order Anura, within the Amphibia class.
Species Profile
The California red-legged frog is a species of frog found in California (USA) and northern Baja California (Mexico). It was formerly considered a subspecies of the northern red-legged frog. The frog is an IUCN near-threatened species as of 2021, has a NatureServe conservation status of Imperiled as of 2015, and is a federally listed threatened species of the United States that is protected by law.
Drayton's Frog faces significant population declines across its range due to habitat loss from urban development and agricultural conversion of wetland areas. The species is particularly vulnerable to introduced predators like bullfrogs and non-native fish, along with disease outbreaks including chytrid fungus that have devastated amphibian populations throughout California.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Inhabits permanent and semi-permanent freshwater ponds, marshes, slow-moving streams, and adjacent riparian vegetation in coastal and inland valleys of California. Requires aquatic breeding sites with emergent vegetation and nearby terrestrial upland areas for foraging and overwintering.
Threats
Agricultural conversion of wetlands and riparian areas
Chytrid fungus and other disease outbreaks
Habitat loss and fragmentation from urbanization
Invasive species predation (bullfrogs, non-native fish)
Water diversions and altered hydrology
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Drayton's Frog (Rana draytonii). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/draytons-frog