Invasive Species — Red-legged Frog (Rana aurora)
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Management
Management strategies have not been developed for red-legged frogs in Alaska, although it is illegal to introduce any aquatic organism into Alaskan waters. Ironically, this species is declining throughout its native range, and a subspecies, the California red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii) is Federally-threatened. Research in Alaska will focus on assessing the effects of red-legged frogs on native Alaskan amphibians. Given the remoteness of its introduced range in Alaska, eradication of this species would be logistically improbable. Instead, it is possible that if populations continue to decline in its native range, the Alaskan population could be used to seed new populations for restoration efforts in the lower 48. However, that remains to be determined.
Links
- Non-native and invasive animals of Alaska: A comprehensive list and select species status reports (PDF 1,054 kB)
- British Columbia Frog Watch Program (information about red-legged frogs in their native range)
- Southeast Alaska, Chichagof Island Redlegged Frog Population Status. Progress Report by USFS. 2007. (PDF 257 kB)