Biologists plan to reintroduce the threatened California red-legged frogs to the Santa Monica Mountains next spring.
Officials with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) received good news this week that the isolated population in the Simi Hills appears to be healthy and reproducing, which is critical for reintroduction.
“California red-legged frogs haven’t been spotted in the Santa Monica Mountains since the early 1970s,” said Katy Delaney, wildlife biologist for SMMNRA.
Researchers with the National Park Service and U.S. Geological Survey calculated that there are approximately 100 adult frogs in a section of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve. The federally listed threatened frog has vanished from 24 of 46 counties within its original range, according to officials.
Delaney wants to transfer eggs from Upper Las Virgenes Canyon to two streams in the Santa Monica Mountains. The frogs require deep pools of water year-round, so Delany and her team have been surveying the Santa Monica Mountains to determine where the frogs have the best chance of survival.
“Because frogs have permeable skin that easily absorbs contaminants, they are considered an indicator species that provides important information about habitat health. Nationwide, USGS has documented precipitous declines among amphibians, which some speculate may be linked to habitat loss, invasive species and pollution,” according to a statement from the SMMNRA.