Juvenile frogs released
On Sept. 12, 2008, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists came to Northwest Trek to measure and count the Oregon Spotted Frogs raised from eggs provided in the spring. A total of 536 individuals were weighed, measured and marked. You can see photos of the frogs' progress and learn more about the project below. The frogs went to their new home on Fort Lewis on Sept. 22.
Project Information:
Photos left to right: Keeper Allison Abrahams prepares frog for transmitter. The tiny transmitter will last about 28 days and enable biologists to find the frog to check on its movement and health. Trek staff lined up along the shore of the lake to release their charges.
Though its name suggests otherwise, the Oregon Spotted Frog used to inhabit most of the lowlands around Puget Sound in Washington. Currently, only seven isolated populations are known to exist in the entire state. The species is listed as a state endangered species and is a candidate for federal endangered status.
Frogs and other amphibians have proven to be bellwethers in environmental monitoring. Their sensitivity to small variations of temperature and chemicals in the environment are part of the reason their populations are declining precipitously all over the world.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Northwest Trek and other partners have embarked on a rearing and reintroduction of Oregon Spotted Frogs (Rana pretiosa). The care of the frog eggs to metamorphosis took place off exhibit at both Northwest Trek and the Oregon Zoo in Portland. The frogs will be reintroduced at Dailman Lake, a site on Fort Lewis. The release location is uniquely protected from human activity.
The project goal is to reintroduce the frogs to their former historic range and establish self-sustaining wild populations. An added benefit is that Northwest Trek and other members of the Northwest Zoo & Aquarium Alliance (NZAA) have a proven ability to communicate conservation messages with the general public, legislators and other audiences.
This project integrates the resources of non-profits (regional zoos), private industry (Port Blakely Tree Farms), the U.S. Army (Fort Lewis), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in support of the Washington Wildlife Conservation Strategy (WDFW 2005). Other partners include the Oregon Zoo, Washington Department of Transportation, Washington Department of Natural Resources and The Nature Conservancy.
While frogs aren't as cuddly-looking as fur-bearing mammals, they are nonetheless essential to the world's ecosystems. They are also often the early warning sign for an ecosystem out of balance. Find out more. For a scientific look at the situation, read this paper by AZA's conservation biologist.
News coverage of release activities:
