California Treefrogs have white undersides with yellow on the underside of the hind legs. Males have a dusky throat and a round balloon-like membranous pouch or vocal sac. Tadpoles have a round body with eyes situated on the top of their head. Their tail has dorsal and ventral fins similar in height. The mouth is square with two denticle rows on the top and three on the bottom.
Larger tadpoles are dark brown with speckling.
The belly is tan. The California Treefrog is distributed in discontinuous cismontane populations from San Luis Obispo County to Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja California. It also can be found in many of the desert-facing arroyos. It is believed to be extinct from Bahia de Los Angeles and probably is found only as far south as Catavina. This species is found near streams and washes where there are rocks, quiet pools, and shade.