San Diego, California – On Tuesday, a coalition of California institutions celebrated a milestone that’s been decades in the making: more than 350 endangered Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs were released into the wild, marking the first species reintroduction for the Birch Aquarium at Scripps. The release took place in the San Bernardino Mountains at Bluff Lake, a preserve managed by The Wildlands Conservancy.
For the Birch Aquarium team, the moment was both historic and deeply personal. “It was an incredibly exciting and emotional day for our team, as releasing these frogs into the wild marks a historic first for Birch Aquarium,” said Sean Bruce, assistant curator of fishes and invertebrates. “We have been raising these frogs for more than a year, and to finally reach this milestone is truly remarkable.”
Of the frogs released, 220 were raised at the aquarium, while the remainder were raised by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and UCLA. Small but striking, the frogs measure between 1.6 and 3.5 inches, with females generally larger than males. Their colors range from olive to brown with dark markings, and their yellow-to-orange hind legs give them their common name. If threatened, they produce a garlic-like odor as a natural defense…