Yellow-legged frogs earn spot on endangered list
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – They aren’t as famous as the threatened red-legged frogs of Calaveras jumping fame, but two types of yellow-legged frogs are getting new special protections.
The California Fish and Game Commission voted Thursday to list the Sierra mountain yellow-legged frogs as threatened and the Southern mountain yellow-legged frogs as endangered. The commission acted after the Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition outlining the decline.
Both species live in alpine lakes and are a food source for non-native trout.
Studies have shown that livestock grazing and pesticide drift from farms in the Central Valley contribute to the decline. Their numbers have shrunk by half since 1995.
The state already had taken steps to protect the frogs by ending some fish-stocking programs and moving some to former habitats.
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
Readers around the Lake Tahoe Basin and beyond make the Tahoe Tribune's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.
Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.
Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.
