ISSN: 2639-216X
Authors: Riensche DL*
The California Red-legged Frog (Rana draytonii) is a federally threatened species that is declining in its range. Additionally, other Amphibians are declining in distribution, and researchers attribute these declines to the presence of exotic predators. For nearly 150 years, the introduction of non-native fish into California livestock ponds has been prevalent. The impact of these releases has been damaging to native frogs. Pond restoration efforts aimed at eradicating non-native fish can reverse this trend by improving habitat conditions that support the California Red-legged Frog's recovery goals. Following the removal of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) and Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) from a permanent livestock pond at Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park in the fall of 2022, the location started supporting native amphibians the following spring. For the first time since 2016, when systematic annual surveys began, adults and larvae of the Pacific Chorus Frog (Pseudacris regilla) and California Newt (Taricha torosa) started inhabiting the pond (2023 to 2026). Adult California Red-legged Frogs colonized the site two years later (2024 to 2026) and have increased by more than 4-fold. This new site-specific information on the California Red-legged Frog and native Amphibian responses to exotic fish removal in a central California rangeland will inform recovery efforts to preserve and manage habitat for this threatened species.
Keywords: Amphibian Breeding; Conservation; Non-Native Fish Removal