The Chiricahua leopard frog (Lithobates chiricahuensissyn.Rana chiricahuensis)[3] is a species of
frog in the family
Ranidae, the true frogs.
Distribution and habitat
It is native to Mexico and the United States (
Arizona and
New Mexico). Its natural
habitats are temperate
forests,
rivers, intermittent rivers,
swamps, freshwater
lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater
marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, freshwater
springs,
ponds, and open excavations.
Conservation
It is threatened by
habitat loss and
chytrid fungus to such an extent that it has been eliminated from 80% of its former habitat.[4] The Phoenix Zoo, Arizona's Department of Game and Fish, and the USFWS are trying to mitigate threats through captive breeding and reintroduction efforts.[5]
Phylogeny
A 2011
genetic analysis provided evidence that the northwestern Mogollon Rim population of L. chiricahuensis is indistinguishable from specimens of the
extinctVegas Valley leopard frog (Lithobates fisheri).[6]
The Ramsey Canyon leopard frog (Lithobates subaquavocalis) has also been shown to be
conspecific with the Chiricahua leopard frog.
Goldberg, C. S., Field, K. J. & Sredl, M. J. (2004): Mitochondrial DNA sequences do not support species status of the Ramsey Canyon leopard frog (Rana subaquavocalis). J Herpetol 38:313–319. doi: 10.1670/117-03A