Species

Lithobates chiricahuensis

Common Name(s)

Chiricahua Leopard Frog;Rana-de Chiricahua

Region where program is based

North America

Country where program is based

United States

The authority that recommended this species for an ex situ program

Conservation Needs Assessment Workshop

Has a genetic analysis been performed on wild populations to define the target taxon, i.e., verify that single, viable Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESU's) that are managed as separate populations, are not confounded by cryptic species or polymorphisms?

Yes

Name of the institution managing the ex situ population

Phoenix Zoo

Year the program started

2005

Is at least some portion of the captive population maintained in range country?

Yes

Are sufficient resources available to manage the ex situ population?

Yes

Are adequate numbers of skilled staff available with the appropriate ex situ amphibian experience?

Yes

Is sufficient space available for the required population size?

Yes

Additional Support required

We cover the costs of the program through our annual operating budget and donations currently. We welcome additional sources of support to offset costs, but are currently meeting our needs.

Has a Taxon Management Coordinator for the ex situ population been appointed?

Yes

Taxon Management Coordinator

Brad Poynter of Phoenix Zoo

Has a Taxon Management Group or Recovery Team been established?

No

Has a Taxon Management Plan, Recovery Plan or Species Action Statement been written?

No

Web link to Taxon Management Plan

Have Husbandry Guidelines been written?

Yes

Web link to Husbandry Management Guidelines

Have any knowledge gaps in the species biology or in their interaction with potential threats been identified that could benefit from research using the ex situ population?

Yes

List of knowledge gaps

We meet regularly with our agency partners to discuss knowledge gaps and plan how we can help fill those gaps with research done ex situ.

Have founder needs been calculated using the AArk Amphibian Population Management Guidelines ?

No

Have sufficient potential founders been collected? ( AArk Amphibian Population Management Guidelines recommends a minimum of 20 pairs of found animals).

Yes

Is the ex situ population managed by nationals from the range country?

Yes

What tools are used to maximize retention of genetic diversity?

Others

Has the population produced viable offspring?

Yes

Have the first generation captive-bred animals bred successfully?

Yes

Is the ex situ population housed in permanent isolation from other populations occurring outside its range?

No

Is work being supported to study and mitigate threats to the species in the wild, either by the institution or by a regional wildlife agency?

Yes

Have captive-bred or captive-reared animals been released into the wild?

Yes

If releases were undertaken, have disease screening protocols or veterinary health checks been conducted prior to releases to the wild?

Yes

Is follow-up work being carried out to monitor progress of the released animals?

Yes

Is the taxon again secure in the wild, even if it might still require some ongoing in situ management? i.e. has the need for a captive assurance population been obviated such that we can call this a successfully terminated captive rescue program?

No

Comments

2021: Last year the zoo released 410 tadpoles and 235 frogs back into the wild. https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2021/03/23/chiricahua-leopard-frogs-habitat-challenges/ 2018: Husbandry guidelines available by request from conservation@phoenixzoo.org 2015: The Phoenix Zoo headstarted Chiricahua Leopard Frog egg masses collected from the wild by the Arizona Game and Fish Department or collected from a site on-grounds. Successfully headstarted animals are released into managed recovery environments. The Phoenix Zoo has conducted temperature challenge experiments on non-infected Chiricahua Leopard Frogs in years past to determine if the species would tolerate temperatures at a level high enough to kill the Bd fungus. Researchers found that the frogs do tolerate temperatures of 85° F for long enough to kill the fungus, but had not attempted this treatment on infected frogs until the spring of 2015 when a population of infected frogs was crashing. US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) biologists requested that the Zoo try the treatment on 61 infected frogs, which was successfully done and, subsequently, many of the frogs were returned to the wild.