Note: The illustration above is not accurate to the size of the California Red-Legged Frog, nor is the color entirely accurate to all of its species. You should also not handle frogs or any sort of creature without the proper knowledge and handling skills.
With media literacy at an all-time low, it’s imperative to keep the general public informed through mediums that best align with who they are and what they’re consuming. As a hot girl biology major (Megan Thee Stallion and Kidflamess certified), I adore individuals like Bad Bunny and his representation of Puerto Rico through Concho, the DtMF era’s amphibian mascot. But what exactly is the significance of Concho to Puerto Rico? And what does Bad Bunny have to do with the natural history of California?
Concho is a play on the Sapo Concho, also known as the Puerto Rican Crested Toad. An endangered species, Bad Bunny uses the amphibian to represent both his heritage and the conservation efforts of indigenous critters native to his land. In California, the California Red-Legged Frog is to us as the Concho and the Puerto Rican Crested Toad are to Puerto Rico.
Scientifically known as Rana Draytonii, the California Red-Legged Frog falls into the Ranidae family of true frogs. This is basically the classification for most of the world’s frog population, save for tree frogs and true toads.
Averaging about 1.5 to 5 inches in size (except for the females, who come in at around 5.4 inches), the California Red-Legged Frog proves itself a hot girl herpeton through its burnt orange appearance and black or brown freckling. Found all across California’s wetlands, there’s a rare chance you’ll find them in the San Mateo watersheds, Suisun City marshes, and even in Vallejo’s White Slough. Riparian areas in the triangle of I-80, I-680, and I-780 are reported to also be habitats for our lovely friend.
The California Red-Legged Frog once lived in California’s Central Valley, but due to agricultural and urban development we’ve lost over 90% of their native lands. This total eradication led to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service classifying them as “threatened” (1996). Imperiled by habitat loss and pollution, the San Diego Natural History Museum even revealed its complete extinction from the county due to housing developments in the 1970’s. iNaturalist lists the amphibian as endemic to California, but it begs the question of where it will go and what will happen if California becomes all human owned? Obviously, nothing good.
It asks us as hot girls, guys and enbies to remain aware of the frog’s existence and what it does for our environment. Aside from acting as food for the San Francisco Garter Snake, the California Red-Legged Frog keeps populations of Pacific Tree Frogs and California Mice at stable levels, as well as algae and the quality of water. These things matter to us just as much as they matter to animals. We are not exempt from California’s ecosystem, and we as baddies, babes, and hotties should not underestimate the value of our amphibious friends.
