A rare frog has been found southwest of Arizona in the United States beyond its known range.
The agency reported on Thursday that U.S. Forest Service volunteer recently photographed a Chiricahua leopard frog in a clay tank near Camp Verde, central Arizona. Afterward, biologists later confirmed that at least 10 frogs alive there.
Aquatic frogs were thought to be found only in eastern Arizona, western New Mexico, and northern Mexico, but were historically more widespread. The reasons to reduce the number of frogs are habitat loss, disease and predators.
Audrey Owns of the Arizona Department of Games and Fisheries said that frogs are more likely to move to lower altitudes in Campward because they expect warmer habitats or warmer temperatures that protect them from fungal diseases.
The U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Service listed the frog as a threatened species in 2002. Part of the recovery effort is to keep the frogs in captivity and release them into bulk tanks. Amid a prolonged recovery drought, a recovery team has also been tasked with getting water, removing livestock, deepening stocks and controlling erosion.
“Large-scale and diverse recovery efforts at Fossil Creek breakwater are important because biologists do not know exactly what efforts will be successful, or how frogs adapt to changes in natural conditions, such as diseases and long-term drought,” Said Janie Agyagos, a wildlife biologist for the Coconino National Forest’s Red Rock Ranger District.
Biologists plan to visit aquatic areas near Camp Verde to determine the extent of the frogs. Male frogs are specific for the sound they make during the breeding season which like snoring.
Cover Photo – Leopard frog | Image for representation |
