An emergency rescue during extreme winter weather in California's Santa Monica Mountains might not seem unusual - unless it involves frog eggs.
Biologists launched the mission amid harsh winter storms in March. Their goal: Collect masses of California red-legged frog eggs that were disrupted by the weather, nurture them to tadpoles, and take them back to the wild.
The effort resulted in hundreds of red-legged tadpoles that were recently released in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, an important boost in efforts to save the species. The tadpoles were hatched and raised at Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California. National Park Service biologists will monitor the release areas over the summer.
The frogs were once common across California but stopped being seen in the Santa Monica Mountains in the 1970s. The species is considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act and is listed as a California state species of special concern.
Reintroduction efforts at the park started in 2014 have been challenged by setbacks, including the 2019 Woolsey Fire. The blaze killed hundreds of red-legged frogs and wiped out important habitats, a major blow to the conservation program.
“This project has had its share of ups and downs over the years,” Katy Delaney, ecologist with the recreation area, said in a news release. “But with committed partners like the aquarium, we’re writing another hopeful chapter in the comeback story of the California red-legged frog.”
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