Mountain Yellow-Legged frog (Rana muscosa) is a member of the true frog family, Ranidae. It is endemic to California and Nevada. The frog has recently been broken into two species, the other being Rana sierrae, which is native to the Sierra Mountain range.
The Mountain-Yellow Legged Frog reaches to about 3 and a half inches long. Its color ranges from yellow, reddish brown, and olive.
The frogs are facing extinction from two main threats, predation from invasive species and disease. In the late 1800’s, trout were introduced in the Mountain-Yellow Legged frog region to increase recreational fishing. In experiments, when the trout where removed from lakes, the frog species came back.
Bd (chytrid fungus) is another factor in the population lose. You can read more about the fungus in a previous post.