Translocation of California Red-legged Frog (Rana draytonii) to Restored Critical Habitat, Solano County.

Rob Schell, WRA, Inc.

Schell@wra-ca.com, (415) 454-8868

California Red-legged Frog (CRLF)

Federally listed as Threatened in 1996

CDFW Species of Special Concern (SSC)

Final Critical Habitat designated in 2010

Recovery Plan Published in 2002

Consistent with Recovery Plan actions and tasks

Conservation Banking

The goal of conservation banking is to protect, manage and enhance/create habitat for ESA listed species. The program Incentivizes conservation and management of large tracts private lands to benefit listed species. Once a bank is developed, the bank owner can sell endangered species habitat “credits” to mitigate for other project impacts. To ensure bank success, the owner must establish a non-wasting endowment for perpetual management of the preserve which funds scientific based monitoring.

Ridge Top Ranch Conservation Bank • 745 acres located in

southwestern Solano County

• 12 existing stock ponds

• Surrounded by privately owned Rangeland or preserved lands

• Within Designated Critical

Habitat for CRLF

Historic Anuran Translocations

• California Red-legged Frog • GGNRA/USGS • Pinnacles National Monument

• Oregon Spotted Frog (Rana pretiosa) • Relict Leopard Frog (Rana onca) • Northern Leopard Frog

(Rana pipiens)

Pre-translocation Due Diligence at the Conservation Bank Site

Visual surveys for CRLF in Q1-2 2010

Surveys were negative

Follow-up seining for CRLF in Q2 2010

Surveys were negative

Toxicology sampling and analysis in Q3 2010

Analytics were negative for contaminants

Analysis of chytrid fungus at donor location and at Ridge Top Ranch

Chytrid is present at both sites

Ridge Top Ranch Conservation Bank

Pond D

Pond N

Pond B

Pond E

• Ponds N and D were fenced and planted in Q4 2010 • Bullrush • Spikerush • Arroyo willow

• Ponds B and E were fenced

and seeded in Q4 2012 • Bullrush • Spikerush

Pilot Pond Restoration: Before and After Pond N Pond D

Befo

re

Oct.

2010

Aft

er

Ma

rch

2012

2012 Donor Site Surveys

Donor larvae

2012: Year 1 Translocation

Collected eggmass along with attachment material. Placed in large plastic bags similar to taking home a fish from a pet store.

Transported eggs in temperature-controlled coolers

Eggs placed in hatch-out cages to “head-start” larvae and protect against invertebrate predators.

CRLF Embryotic/Larval Development

~2CM TL 9 days old: Confirmed embryo viability and development

22 days old: Larvae began to hatch

41 days old

CRLF Larval/Juvenile Development - Continued

~11cm TL

• First metamorph observed at 138 days old

• Population monitoring began Q3 2012 – will continue until 2016

• All individuals captured over 40mm SUL, were PIT tagged to track dispersal, colonization, and demographics

108 days old

237 days old: ~5cm SUL

2012 Preliminary Results Number of Metamorph

California Red-legged Frogs

YOY Visually Detected 104

YOY PIT Tagged 76

Males Tagged 30

Females Tagged 16

Unknown Sex Tagged 30

30.0

35.0

40.0

45.0

50.0

55.0

60.0

65.0

70.0

75.0

80.0

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0

SUL

(mm

)

Weight (grams)

2012 YOY R. draytonii Preliminary Demographic Data

Male n=30

Femalen=16

Unknownsex n=30

55 mm is the threshold size at which CRLF can be reliably sexed.

Thank You! • Land Bank • Dave Kelly (USFWS) • Dr. Brad Shaffer (UCLA) • WRA Staff

• Geoff Smick • Tricia Valcarcel • Dan Chase

Rob Schell, WRA, Inc. Schell@wra-ca.com

(415) 454-8868 x 149