Tuesday December 16, 2025
USDA —
Meet the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (SNYLF)! As its name suggests, this small frog is native to the Sierra Nevada. Unfortunately, this species has seen population declines due to the widespread introduction of non-native trout, fungal disease and habitat loss. SNYLF are currently listed as federally endangered and state threatened. To help this species recover, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), U.S. Forest Service-Tahoe National Forest (TNF), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and San Francisco Zoo and Gardens (SF Zoo) have partnered on a multi-year project to reintroduce the frog to its native habitat within the western side of the Tahoe National Forest.
The area where frogs are being reintroduced was historically fishless and formerly contained a persistent SNYLF population. However, for decades, the area received plants of non-native trout, which prey on early frog life stages. The fish plants stopped in the late 1990’s, but some non-native fish remained.