Tadpoles Released This Week In Santa Monica Mountains As Part Of Zoo’s Headstarting Program At California State University Channel Islands
A decade-long effort is starting to turn the tide for California’s state amphibian – the California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii). Yesterday, the Santa Barbara Zoo, in partnership with the National Park Service, assisted in the release of a group of California red-legged frog tadpoles into a carefully selected site in the Santa Monica Mountains—marking an important step in expanding the species’ range and supporting its long-term recovery.
The California red-legged frog once thrived across much of the state but experienced dramatic population losses due to habitat degradation, invasive species, and disease. Recovery efforts have made meaningful progress in recent years, with successful translocations and in situ breeding marking important milestones for the species…