NEED TO KNOW
- More than 600 rare tadpoles and frogs have been released into the mountains north of Los Angeles
- The L.A. Zoo bred and raised the southern mountain yellow-legged frog species before their release as part of a program to save the species from extinction
- The zoo and its conservation partners have released over 6,000 tadpoles and frogs into the streams of the San Gabriel Mountains since the program started in 2006
Over 600 rare amphibians have been released into the streams of the San Gabriel Mountains.
The Los Angeles Zoo bred and raised tadpoles of the southern mountain yellow-legged frogs (Rana muscosa), a species considered endangered since 2007, before releasing them in “cool streams” of their natural habitat, the zoo shared in a July 10 press release.
The Los Angeles Zoo, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the Aquarium of the Pacific all took part in the release, which included a total of 643 amphibians. Of the southern mountain yellow-legged frogs released, 450 were tadpoles and 193 were subadult frogs. All of these amphibians, except for the 38 rescue frogs, lived at the L.A. Zoo for their entire lives before being released.
“This was my second time on a southern mountain yellow-legged frog release,” said Luc Myers, an animal keeper at the Los Angeles Zoo. “Hiking out on the San Gabriels with a cooler on my back, carrying these precious frogs was nothing short of amazing.
The southern mountain yellow-legged frog is “medium-sized,” measuring an average of 1.5 to 3.25 inches, and is typically brown and yellow with dark spots that assist with camouflaging. The species is indigenous to the San Gabriel, San Bernardino, and San Jacinto Mountains in California, per the release.
The Los Angeles Zoo breeds the southern mountain yellow-legged frog tadpoles to “ensure their development beyond their most vulnerable state,” the press release read. The tadpoles live in a temperature-regulated environment equipped with life support and technology to purify water so they can grow in the “most optimal conditions.”
After reaching a safe stage of maturity, the amphibians are released into their natural habitat.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The July 2025 release took place at an undisclosed remote site in the San Gabriel Mountains to protect the young amphibians and their new ecosystem. This release follows a series of L.A. amphibian releases that started in 2007; collectively, the efforts have delivered more than 6,000 amphibians to the San Gabriel Mountains.
The Southern Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog Recovery Program was started in 2006 by the Los Angeles Zoo and several partners to protect the endangered species from extinction. The successful program is set to expand soon, with the L.A. Zoo donating additional space to the project, which will enable the zoo to care for tadpoles for longer before release, thereby increasing the tadpoles’ survivability.
Read the full article here
