The eye mask is usually blackish to brown in color though it may be indistinct in some individuals. Most red-legged frogs have a light lip line that extends from the eye to the shoulder, this line parallels the eye mask. Red-legged frogs have long legs, and hind toe webbing is concave and comes only to the first joint of the longest toe. Tadpoles are between 14 and 80 mm in length, usually dark brown in color with small metallic like flecks. The ventral surface of the tadpole or larvae is generally brassy to pink in color.
Eggs are the largest known for any North American frog.
The average egg mass is between 15 and 25 cm in diameter, with each egg having a diameter of 3 mm in diameter. Eggs are deposited on the water's surface. The differences between the two subspecies of Rana aurora are both morphological and behavioral. The adult California red-legged frog is considerable larger than that of the northern subspecies. California red-legged frog has paired vocal sacks that allow it to call in the air.