Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Californian CESU

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The USGS is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research on the distribution of California red-legged frogs (Rana draytonii) in timberlands near the northern limit of their range. California red-legged frogs are endemic to California and the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico, and are federally listed as Threatened. Although California red-legged frog ecology is relatively well-studied in grazed lands along the central California coast, little is known about the distribution and habitat use of California red-legged frogs in forested habitats. California red-legged frogs occur in forested habitats at the northern limit of their range, and knowledge of their distribution in these habitats would inform timber management practices to minimize risk to these populations. Because the study area is very near and within the area of overlap with northern red-legged frogs (Rana aurora), the study will also examine the distribution of this morphologically and ecologically similar species. This funding opportunity is to develop genetic assays specific to California and northern red-legged frogs, extract DNA from nitrocellulose filters, and determine the presence of California and northern red-legged frog DNA in samples using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) methods.

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