Spotted Frogs Placed in High Mountain Wetlands

Work continues to keep frogs off the Endangered Species list

Wildlife biologists in northern Utah started transplanting Columbia
spotted frogs to wetlands in the Uinta Mountains recently.

These northern Utah transplant efforts involve “hatching” frogs
from eggs in containers at the Division of Wildlife Resources’
Northern Region office in Ogden. After they’re hatched, biologists
move the young frogs to pristine, high mountain wetlands in the Uintas.

The next frog transplant should happen in mid-May.

Keeping Frogs Off the Endangered Species List

Columbia spotted frogs are only two inches in length, but they play a
big role in Utah’s wildlife conservation efforts. The presence of
frogs is one indicator of a healthy environment.

The decline of these small frogs and other amphibians in Utah has led
the DWR and other conservation agencies to take action to restore and
expand spotted frog populations.

Paul Thompson, a regional sensitive aquatic species biologist with the
DWR, says the transplant which happened April 27 is the culmination of
years of planning and effort. “The purpose of this project is to
strengthen the population of frogs, to keep them from being listed as an
endangered species,” Thompson said.

Spotted Frogs in Utah

The Columbia spotted frog ranges from southeast Alaska through Alberta,
Canada, and into Washington, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. They’re also
found in scattered areas in Nevada and Utah.

In Utah, isolated Columbia spotted frog populations are found in the
West Desert and along the Wasatch Front. Unfortunately, habitat
degradation and habitat loss have caused many of these populations to
decline, especially the populations along the Wasatch Front.

Because of the decline, Columbia spotted frogs are now included as a
conservation species on Utah’s Sensitive Species list. Several
government agencies have joined together to eliminate or reduce the
threats to the frogs.
For more information, call the DWR’s Northern Region office at (801)
476-2740.