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| Chiricahua Leopard Frog |
A truly remarkable find. At first I thought it was too good to be true. Turns out that the best gift on the day of my exploration in the canyons of the Huachuca mountains would lead me to the threatened and endangered Chiricahua Leopard Frog.
The Chiricahua leopard frog is a medium-to-large sized frog with a stocky body that can grow up to 4.3 inches long. The frog is often green and has a leopard-like patterning, small pale raised spots on the rear thighs, and a raised fold of skin running down each side of the back. The Chiricahua leopard frog was listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as a threatened species on June 13, 2002. When the Service listed the Chiricahua leopard frog in 2002, the Ramsey Canyon leopard frog, found on the eastern slopes of the Huachuca Mountains in Cochise County, was thought to be a unique species. Scientists have since determined that the Ramsey Canyon leopard frog is taxonomically the Chiricahua leopard frog. This has since happened per a chat I had with several of the local park service employees. The Ramsey Canyon leopard frog is now considered a Chiricahua leopard frog. And yet when I look between images, they strike me as different frogs....but apparently not. Interesting.
An aggressive recovery program is underway in the U.S. that is showing considerable results on the ground. The reestablishment of populations, creation of refugial populations, and enhancement and development of habitat have helped stabilize or improve the status of the species in some areas. I have been years here in Arizona and never seen one.....until my hike. I'm hoping that they make a strong comeback once again. Large tracts of Arizona are now off limits to any development and the destruction of land by cattle ranchers from the past 100 hundred years is now improving thanks to conservation efforts. Over the past 10 years, Southern Arizona has made great strides to reclaim the natural areas destroyed by man.....and only now are we seeing the return of the Jaguar and other endangered creatures like the Chiricahua frog. We still have a ways to go, but progress is being made and I am witness to it every year. More tomorrow....
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