Pseudacris regilla (Pacific Treefrog)
about the species
The Pacific treefrog, Pseudacris regilla is a ubiquitous species of small frog native to the western US and adjacent British Columbia and Baja California. The species provides a nearly complete representation of the ecological diversity in the state with the exception of the Mojave and immediately adjacent desert ecosystems. It is the most widely distributed amphibian in the state, and by some accounts the only anuran (frog or toad) that has not undergone substantial declines in the last three decades.
why species was selected
As a small predator (as terrestrial metamorph) and an herbivore grazer in virtually all aquatic habitats in the state (as an aquatic larvae), it is an important ecological foundational species. It also forms a substantial part of the prey base of many aquatic predators, ranging from herons to endangered tiger salamanders and garter snakes. Given this ecological and geographical breadth, we view it as an essential component of the CCGP project.
