The Chiricahua leopard frog might not be the most famous creature in Arizona, but it has quite a story. This little green-and-bronze amphibian once thrived in ponds, streams, and wetlands across southern Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico. Over the years, though, it lost more than three-quarters of its historical range. Habitat loss, invasive species like bullfrogs, disease, and climate change have all played a part in its decline.
That’s where a big team effort comes in. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the Phoenix Zoo, and a network of other partners have been working hard to bring the frog back. A federal recovery plan, put in place in 2007, laid out a roadmap for restoring the species in eight different regions.
One of the most impressive success stories comes from the Phoenix Zoo. Since 1995, they have been “head-starting” frogs, which means raising wild-collected eggs in safe, controlled environments until the frogs are strong enough to survive in the wild. They also run a captive breeding program for genetically important frogs. In 2025, the zoo hit a huge milestone, releasing its 30,000th Chiricahua leopard frog into Arizona wetlands. Between 1995 and 2020, they carried out 179 releases, sending more than 26,800 frogs, plus eggs and tadpoles, into the wild.
But conservation is about more than just raising frogs. Habitat restoration is a big part of the plan. That means removing bullfrogs and other predators, cleaning up overgrown ponds, managing invasive plants like cattails, and even building special safe habitats called refugia. Research shows that when sites get several stocking events with tadpoles instead of just adults or eggs, the frogs have a much better chance of sticking around. Removing invasive species and repeating releases at the same sites also helps boost survival rates.
Scientists and conservationists keep a close eye on the frogs through regular surveys. They check for breeding, habitat conditions, and any signs of trouble. The results are encouraging. In 2007, there were only 38 known occupied sites in Arizona. Today, that number has jumped to as many as 155. The frogs still face challenges, though, especially from a deadly fungus called chytridiomycosis, which affects amphibians worldwide. To fight it, every frog released is tested, and some are even treated with heat therapy to clear infections. Researchers are also studying immunity and disease resistance to give the frogs an even better shot at survival.
It takes a village to save a species, and the Chiricahua leopard frog is proof of what can happen when zoos, government agencies, scientists, and local landowners work together. Thanks to these efforts, the frog’s future in Arizona is looking a lot brighter than it did just a few decades ago.
Works Cited
Center for Biological Diversity. Chiricahua Leopard Frog. Biological Diversity. Accessed 2025.
Harris, T.R., Heuring, W.L., Allard, R.A., Owens, A.K., Hedwall, S., Crawford, C., & Akins, C. (2022). Over 25 Years of Partnering to Conserve Chiricahua Leopard Frogs (Rana chiricahuensis) in Arizona, Combining Ex Situ and In Situ Strategies. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens, 3(4), 532–544.
Phoenix Zoo. “Chiricahua Leopard Frog Conservation.” Phoenix Zoo, Accessed 2025.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Working Toward Recovery for the Chiricahua Leopard Frog.” USFWS Story, Accessed 2025.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Geological Survey; University of Arizona. (2024). Control of Introduced American Bullfrogs and Support for Chiricahua Leopard Frog Conservation.
Wildlife Society. “Specific Reintroduction Factors Lead to Chiricahua Leopard Frog Success.” The Wildlife Professional, April 2022.
Arizona PBS. “Recovering the Chiricahua Leopard Frog.” Arizona Horizon, July 9, 2025.
MDPI. “Over 25 Years of Partnering to Conserve Chiricahua Leopard Frogs in Arizona.” MDPI, 2022.
