Spotted frog species gets a hand to aid survival
About 500 Oregon spotted frogs, listed as endangered by Washington state, are hopping around today in a wetland near Dailman Lake at Fort Lewis.
The frogs were released yesterday in an effort to build up a healthy frog population on the federal Army reservation. The frogs were hatched in March, so they were able to safely grow to a size more likely to escape predators, biologists say.
Fertilized eggs were collected from breeding areas in Klickitat and Thurston counties — the only areas in Washington state with surviving populations. The frogs were taken to Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Pierce County and the Oregon Zoo in Portland.
It was the Northwest Trek frogs released yesterday. The Oregon Zoo frogs will be released later. Work on this research project will be ongoing for years.
The frogs, weighing less than an ounce, are marked with a nontoxic dye for identification.
“This is the first-ever captive rearing and release program fo the Oregon spotted frog in Washington and represents a significant first step in our joint effort to help recover this fragile species,” said Harriet Allen in a prepared statement. Allen is the endangered species program manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
A press release from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife provides more details, including a list of the sponsoring organizations.
Photo courtesy of WDFW
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Tags: Spotted frog, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
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