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Tiny Frogs' Big Comeback: Aquarium Saves Endangered Species
29 Sep
Summary
- Aquarium releases 1,000 endangered frogs since 2020.
- Wild frog population dwindled to under 200 by 2021.
- Habitat loss from fire and invasive species threatened frogs.
The Aquarium of the Pacific is spearheading a vital conservation effort for the critically endangered mountain yellow-legged frog. This species, once the most populous vertebrate in its habitat, faced near extinction, with wild numbers dropping below 200 by 2021.
In a significant conservation success, the aquarium has released 1,000 frogs since 2020. In August alone, over 650 were released, with nearly 400 of those nurtured at the facility. These captive breeding and rearing programs, part of a larger U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initiative, aim to restore the species.
The mountain yellow-legged frog is essential to its native ecosystem, serving as a food source and helping maintain clean waterways as tadpoles. However, populations have been decimated by introduced trout, chytrid fungus, and severe habitat destruction from events like the Bobcat Fire in fall 2020.
Scientists salvaged tadpoles from devastated areas, which the Aquarium of the Pacific, in collaboration with the Los Angeles and San Diego zoos, has successfully raised. These rescued tadpoles, some from the San Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountains, are carefully nurtured, with high survival rates leading to successful metamorphosis and eventual release back into the wild.
