California Reptiles & Amphibians

Rana yavapaiensis - Lowland Leopard Frog

(=Lithobates yavapaiensis)

Click on a picture for a larger view

Historical Range in California: Red

Dot-locality range map

Formerly present, possibly extirpated in California

Adults, Santa Cruz County, Arizona

Adult, Yavapai County, Arizona

Adult, Santa Cruz County, Arizona

Juvenile, Santa Cruz County, Arizona

Adult, Santa Cruz County, Arizona
© 2004 William Flaxington

Very young tadpole, Santa Cruz County,
Arizona

Tadpole, Santa Cruz County, Arizona

Mature tadpole, Santa Cruz County,
Arizona

Eggs laid by a newly-introduced captive in an outdoor enclosure at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson

Distant view of San Felipe Wash,
Imperial County, former habitat.

Habitat, Santa Cruz Co., Arizona

Description

Size

Adults are 1 4/5 to 3 2/5 inches long from snout to vent (4.6 - 8.6 cm). Males grow up to 2.8 inches (7.2 cm).

Appearance

Tan, brown, light green to bright green above. Large dark dorsal spots, usually with no light halos. Typically there are no spots on the head in front of the eyes. Yellowish below, including the groin and often on the underside of the legs. Older frogs sometimes have dark throat markings. Markings on the rear of the thighs have more dark than light coloring and this reticulation has distinct margins. Prominent light-colored dorsolateral folds are interrupted on the lower back. Faint light stripe on the upper lip.

Voice

Several short low chuckles, sounding like quick, short, kisses. Calls at night, sometimes during the day. (You can listen to it at AmphibiaWeb.)

Behavior

Little is known of the behaviour of R. yavapaiensis. Appears to stay close to water, seeking shelter in streamside vegetation.

Diet

Most likely eats a variety of invertebrates. Typical of most frogs, the prey is located by vision, then a large sticky tongue is used to catch the prey and bring it into the mouth to eat.

Reproduction

Throughout most of its range, mating and egg-laying occurs from January to April, possibly with two annual breeding episodes. Fertilization is external. Eggs are laid in water.

Range

In California, this frog historically ranged from San Felipe Creek, Imperial county east to the lower Colorado River Valley. Isolated populations may remain in the Imperial Valley and the San Felipe Creek drainage, but it is likely that R. yavapaiensis has been extirpated in California.

Historically distributed discontinuously from extreme west New Mexico, north to Clark county, Nevada & Utah, south to Sonora, Mexico, and west to Imperial county, California. Sea level to 5,577 ft. elevation (1700 m.)

Jennings and Fuller determined in their 2004 report on the distribution of leopard frogs in California that "Lowland leopard frogs are apparently native to the lower Colorado river (Van Denburgh and Slevin 1913), and natural overflow lakes and tributary streams in the imperial valley. This frog was known to be present at isolated locations such as Carrizo Wash, Harper's Well Wash, and Kane Springs west of the Salton Sea before 1940. ... ...observations indicate that lowland leopard frogs expanded their range in the Imperial Valley and along the Coilorado River with the development of lage-scale, irrigated agriculture in former desert areas during the early part of the 20th Century (Storer 1925, Klauber 1934)."

Habitat

Throughout most of its range, found in streams, river side channels, springs, ponds, stock ponds in desert, grassland, and woodland. In California: "A detailed understanding of the habitat requirements of R. yavapaiensis is lacking, but this species apparently inhabited slackwater aquatic habitats dominated by bulrushes, cattails, and riparian grasses near or under an overstory of Fremont's cottonwoods and willows (Storer 1925, Stebbins 1951, Glaser 1970, Jennings and Hayes 1994; see also Lowe 1985, Jones 1988a [as R. pipiens]). Lowland leopard frogs were also seen in canals, roadside ditches, and ponds in the Imperial Valley during the first quarter of this century (Storer 1925, Klauber 1934), but the context of its occurrence in those areas is not well understood because that era was a period of extensive habitat alteration. Lowland leopard frogs may have simply been transitory in those areas." (CA Dept. of Fish & Game HCPB)

Taxonomic Notes

Formally described in 1984. Previously grouped with the Rana pipiens complex.

This frog has been renamed Lithobates yavapaiensis, but this nomenclature is not yet standard.

Conservation Issues (Conservation Status)

Endangered or extirpated in California. No longer present in over 50 percent of its historical range elsewhere. No frogs have been recorded in California since 1965, but there have been no extensive surveys. The spread of introduced Rana berlandieri, predatory crayfish, fish, bullfrogs, habitat alteration by agriculture, grazing, development, and building of reservoirs have all been mentioned as possible contributors to the decline of R. yavapaiensis.

Taxonomy
Family	Ranidae	True Frogs
Genus	Rana	True Frogs
Species	yavapaiensis	Lowland Leopard Frog
Original Description
Platz and Frost, 1984 - Copeia, 940-948. from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
Meaning of the Scientific Name
Rana - Frog - "Rana" probably mimics how the Romans heard their call. yavapaiensis - belonging to the Yavapai Native American group - probably referring to the type locality from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
Alternate Names
Lithobates yavapaiensis
Related or Similar California Frogs
Rana berlandieri Rana draytonii Rana aurora Rana boylii Rana cascadae Rana pipiens Rana pretiosa Rana catesbeiana Rana muscosa
More Information and References
Natureserve Explorer California Dept. of Fish and Game AmphibiaWeb Jennings, Mark R., and Michael M. Fuller. 2004. Origin and distribution of leopard frogs, Rana pipiens complex, in California. California Fish and Game 90(3):119-139. Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003. Behler, John L., & F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992. Degenhardt, William G., Charles W. Painter, & Andrew H. Price. Amphibians and Reptiles of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, 1996. Williamson, Michael A., Paul W. Hyder, & John S. Applegarth. Snakes, Lizards, Turtles, Frogs, Toads & Salamanders of New Mexico. Sunstone Press, 1994. Davidson, Carlos. Booklet to the CD Frog and Toad Calls of the Pacific Coast - Vanishing Voices. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 1995.

Conservation Status
The following status listings come from the Special Animals List which is published several times each year by the California Department of Fish and Game.
Organization	Status Listing
U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA)	None
California Endangered Species Act (CESA)	None
California Department of Fish and Game	DFG:SSC	California Species of Special Concern
Bureau of Land Management	BLM:S	Sensitive
USDA Forest Service	None
Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks	G4	Apparently Secure
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List	IUCN:LC	Least Concern