Northern Leopard Frog Breeding Program

A northern leopard frog, photographed from above.

A man an a woman in a pond with buckets.

Photo credit: Wilder Institute / Calgary Zoo

Three people with equipment on their backs walking through a field. A forest and mountains can be seen in the background.

Photo credit: Wilder Institute / Calgary Zoo

A woman with equipment on her back holds a net as she walks near a pond.

Photo credit: Wilder Institute / Calgary Zoo

Photo credit: Wilder Institute / Calgary Zoo

The Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) is a species at risk in western Canada and is one of the most endangered amphibians in British Columbia. The Edmonton Valley Zoo's goal is to help prevent the local extinction of the Rocky Mountain population of the Northern Leopard Frog in order to aid in the recovery of the broader western Canadian northern leopard frogs. These recovery efforts will rely heavily on reintroduction to new habitat areas.

Edmonton's Northern Leopard Frog: A Precautionary Tale

Northern Leopard Frog populations across western Canada started declining sharply in the 1970s, with the Edmonton region's population estimated to have been completely lost by 1980’s. The species now is considered extirpated from Alberta’s Central Parkland Natural Subregion and sadly no longer exists within the entirety of the North Saskatchewan River basin. The Northern Leopard Frog is considered a species “At Risk” in Alberta with population reductions due to habitat destruction, wetland loss, pollution, and introduced disease.

Distribution map comparison, showing the current and historical populations of Northern Leopard Frogs. The historical distribution map shows the frogs' population extending from southern Alberta, all the way to central Alberta, as well as a small corner in the northeast of the province. The current distribution map shows a much smaller area in southern Alberta, and the population in the northeast corner is also smaller and is labelled with a question mark.

What the Edmonton Valley Zoo Is Doing

Without help, B.C.’s Rocky Mountain Leopard Frog population is on the verge of extinction - one as similar, and as tragic, to what Edmonton’s Western Boreal/Prairie Leopard Frog population experienced over 50 years ago.

We are members of the Northern Leopard Frog Recovery Team, working together to prevent the local extinction of the Rocky Mountain Leopard Frog. The Team is working to do this by:

Establishing new self-sustaining populations of reintroduced northern leopard frogs at a minimum of 3 interconnected wetlands in British Columbia

Conducting conservation research to improve captive breeding and reintroduction success

Maintaining captive assurance populations at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, and the Vancouver Aquarium as insurance against catastrophic extinction of the species in the wild

Engaging and inspiring children and adults in northern leopard frog and wetland conservation

Conservation Successes

We joined the Recovery team in 2018 and are proud to be involved in one of only two captive breeding projects for Endangered amphibians currently active in Canada (the other for the Oregon spotted frog).

In 2022, with a quarantine and a temporary break in breeding at other partner facilities, the Edmonton Valley Zoo’s assurance population was the only population to return tadpoles back into the wild. Our tadpoles were a first ever release of zoo raised Rocky Mountain Northern Leopard Frog tadpoles into a new habitat area located near Kimberley, B.C.

Why Should Others Care?

Amphibians like the Northern Leopard Frog are important indicators of environmental health. This is because they are more susceptible to pollution than other groups because their skin is permeable, enabling toxins to invade critical amphibian organs.

They were around in the time of dinosaurs, but today almost half of all amphibian species are threatened with extinction.

What Visitors Can Do

Supporting the Edmonton Valley Zoo also supports our work with the Northern Leopard Frog Recovery Team

Volunteer to help educate about conservation of these amazing amphibians (email attractions@edmonton.ca)

Frogs need healthy wetlands. Help your local wetlands by reducing your use of chemicals in your garden, planting native plant species, and disposing of chemicals where they belong - at a City of Edmonton Eco-station!

Learn more about Frogs through the Alberta Volunteer Amphibian Monitoring Program

Parking Ban Declared (Major Roads & Bus Routes)

Northern Leopard Frog Breeding Program

Edmonton's Northern Leopard Frog: A Precautionary Tale

What the Edmonton Valley Zoo Is Doing

Conservation Successes

Why Should Others Care?

What Visitors Can Do

Northern Leopard Frog Recovery Team Partners

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