Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs get a chance at survival

The future of the Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs in California is getting brighter with a second tadpole release. From the Zoo and Aquarium Visitor:

The initial reintroduction effort of this species occurred in April 2010 when about 500 eggs were released into the stream in hopes of successful hatching. The tadpoles from that release of eggs are so small that it has been difficult for scientists to determine how many survived. The first-ever tadpole reintroduction for the species occurred in August. By “head starting” the tadpoles, partners hoped to increase survival in the wild. The release was conducted using both caged and free-swimming tadpoles. Eighteen tadpoles were released immediately into the stream while another 18 were put into a cage in the stream; the cage protected the tadpoles from predators and also allowed researchers to feed them. Each grouping was tagged with a different color marker. All 18 tadpoles in the cage survived the three-month period of reintroduction into the stream and were about 50 to 60 millimeters long (1 to 2½ inches) when they were released from the cage today. In the spring, scientists will go back to the stream and count the tadpoles to determine which of the release methods was most successful.

Kingsnake.com paid a visit to the Beckman Center for Conservation Research in September, and Jeff Lemm proudly discussed their work with the Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs, going into great detail about the project as well as concerns relating to the release. Initial reports of survival rates of the initial egg release were amazing, and we at kingsnake.com wish them the same luck on this release.