Northern Leopard Frogs Find Refuge at Bearizona Wildlife Park

Bearizona Partners with the Arizona Game and Fish Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on All-New Refugium for Northern Leopard Frogs

WILLIAMS, Ariz., July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Bearizona, a popular drive- and walk-through wildlife park devoted to providing homes to wild animals in need, announced today a partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This new cooperative project establishes a refugium at the park to help conserve the northern leopard frog, which is designated a "species of greatest conservation need" by the state.

This refugium will provide a safe and self-sustaining habitat for a captive population of northern leopard frogs to exist without the threat of non-native bullfrogs or crayfish, both of which are voracious predators of northern leopard frogs. Upon successful reproduction at this refugium, the species will be re-introduced into appropriate sites in the wild.

"The choice to host a refugium at Bearizona was obvious due to the infrastructure already provided by the park," said Susi MacVean, a nongame biologist with AZGFD. "It also seemed like a great way to partner with the local community?all with the added bonus of a ready-made audience!"

The refugium for northern leopard frogs will be hosted in the walk-thru section of the park and will present an ideal environment for the species, consisting of constant year-round water and at least two feet of pond mud to survive freezing winters. As temperatures drop in the fall, the frogs nestle into that mud, where they go into torpor?the amphibian equivalent of hibernation. Their bodily functions grind to an almost complete halt until the first spring thaw.

When they emerge, the frogs must hide from predators like herons and western terrestrial garter snakes, so the refugium will also contain drier areas of long grass where the frogs can catch insects without being eaten themselves.

"We couldn't be happier about this partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish a refugium for the truly fascinating northern leopard frogs," said Bearizona Animal Staff Director Dave O'Connell. "Bearizona is always looking for ways to rescue and protect wild animals in need, and this refugium fits perfectly into our mission."

To visit the refugium, visit Bearizona or check out http://www.bearizona.com for more information.

About Bearizona
Bearizona is a drive- and walk-through wildlife park south of the Grand Canyon in Williams, AZ, near the intersection of Historic Route 66, Interstate 40 and Highway 64. The park's mission is to rescue wild animals in need of new homes and promote conservation by fostering memorable and educational encounters with North American wildlife in natural environments. Bearizona invites guests to take a scenic, three-mile drive through packs and herds of wild animals, followed by a leisurely stroll through Fort Bearizona, where additional animals can be seen beneath the towering ponderosa pines of Coconino National Forest.

Media Contact

April White, Bearizona, 1 323-216-8589, [email protected]

SOURCE Bearizona