Skip to content
Independent and accessible public media is needed more than ever.
Help us continue keeping communities informed and inspired.
Keep public media independent and accessible
Donate Now

View thank you gift options

CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • topics
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight With Vicki Gonzalez
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • Environment
  •  

Red-Legged Frogs Thriving In Yosemite After Long Absence

Monday, May 6, 2019 | Sacramento, CA
Listen
/
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Al Golub / Yosemite Conservancy / National Park Service

This May 3, 2019, photo provided by the National Park Service shows a close-up image of a red-legged frog released on Friday May 3, 2019 in Cook's Meadow in Yosemite Valley.

Al Golub / Yosemite Conservancy / National Park Service

(AP) — Red-legged frogs made famous by Mark Twain are thriving in Yosemite Valley after a decades-long absence.

Ecologists this spring found clusters of eggs in meadows and ponds, proof of the first breeding by the frogs in Yosemite since 2017, when adult red-legged frogs were reintroduced after a 50-year absence, Yosemite National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds said Monday.

"It's unusual to find eggs in any location and to find them this soon is a strong indication that red-legged frogs are adapting successfully to the riparian areas where we reintroduced them," Reynolds said.

The California red-legged frog is named for its colorful legs and belly. It was featured in Twain's short story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County."

The frog disappeared from Yosemite in part because non-native, predatory bullfrogs first introduced to a reflection pond spread throughout the valley and, over time, gobbled them up.

The insatiable bullfrogs have been eradicated from the park, clearing the way for the red-legged frog's return.

The amphibians were reintroduced in Yosemite National Park under a partnership with federal and state agencies, the Yosemite Conservancy and the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, where thousands tadpoles and adult frogs are being bred for release in the park 200 miles away.

"To see these frogs that came from El Dorado County, from egg masses to being raised in the San Francisco Zoo as tadpoles, to turn into frogs and to have our friends and partners from the zoo bring them over and release them here in Yosemite Valley was quite an experience," Park Ranger Scott Gediman said.

The program has reintroduced an estimated 4,000 California red-legged frog eggs and tadpoles and 500 adult frogs, setting them free in the park's lush meadows, alpine lakes and winding Merced River.

Last week, about 200 more adult frogs were released in Yosemite Valley and another 275 will be released in June, including 75 that will be fitted with radio transmitters to better understand their behavior and habitats to determine the best locations for future reintroductions, officials said.

"Despite Yosemite's popularity, it is also an important wildlife sanctuary. Protecting vulnerable species like red-legged frogs maintains the park's biodiversity as nature envisioned," said Yosemite Conservancy President Frank Dean.

At 2 to 5 inches long, red-legged frogs are the largest native frogs in the West and once were found throughout California.

Efforts are underway to restore the species in other areas, including in a creek in the Santa Monica Mountains, which stretch from Los Angeles westward along the Malibu coast into Ventura County.

CapRadio's Rich Ibarra contributed to this report.


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

More Environment Stories

Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo

Tunnel vision: What’s next for the governor’s plan to replumb the Delta?

June 22, 2022

AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File

How idle oil wells leaked explosive levels of methane in Bakersfield

June 21, 2022

Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

Cal Fire fumbles key responsibilities to prevent catastrophic wildfires despite historic budget

June 21, 2022

Most Viewed

The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. Here's what it means for California.

Governor Newsom signs bill to shield patients threatened by abortion bans in other states

Hundreds gather in Sacramento to protest Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade

Abortion is still legal in California. Here are answers to questions about access in the state.

California coronavirus updates: COVID-19 vaccines saved about 20 million lives in one year, scientists say

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. Here's what it means for California.

Governor Newsom signs bill to shield patients threatened by abortion bans in other states

Hundreds gather in Sacramento to protest Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade

Abortion is still legal in California. Here are answers to questions about access in the state.

California coronavirus updates: COVID-19 vaccines saved about 20 million lives in one year, scientists say

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Careers & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2022, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.