Lowland Leopard Frog
Rana yavapaiensis
Photo taken at Cave Creek, Maricopa Co., Arizona, September 30, 2008.
Photo taken at Cave Creek, Maricopa Co., Arizona, September 2002.
Populations of Lowland Leopard Frogs in the Sonoran Desert have been drastically reduced over the past 100 years. First and foremost, the riparian habitats upon which they depend have been dried up as water has been diverted to agriculture and to cities. Second, there has been a relentless string of exotic, invasive species that impact leopard frog survival - especially American bullfrogs and crayfish. Now many resource managers are making headway against these losses by managing habitats, advocating for water rights, and excluding the invasives.