Federal Threatened species as of May 20th, 1996. Both subspecies are California Species of Special Concern. Historically, California red-legged frogs occurred from Point Reyes National Seashore on the coast, and inland from near Redding, Shasta County, south to northern Baja California. This literature review contains information on both subspecies, however, most of the literature cited is on the California subspecies. California red-legged frogs are found in ponds and intermittent and permanent streams with slow or still water.
Deep pools are necessary for many aspects of red-legged frogs' life cycle.
Red-legged frogs require cool water. In addition to water depth and temperature, salinity may also be an important factor. Timing is probably to ensure that water is cool enough for embryonic survival and that sufficient water exists for larval growth to metamorphosis. Egg masses are typically attached to emergent vegetation with a vertical orientation. Nussbaum et al.