Mississippi Gopher Frog

 


The Mississippi gopher frog or the Lithobates sevosus, also known commonly as the dark gopher frog is a critically endangered species of frog in the family ranidae . The species is endemic to and Its natural habitats are temperate coastal forests and intermittent freshwater marshes. This secretive frog is on average 3 in long, and has a dark brown or black dorsal surface covered in warts.


The diet of adult Mississippi gopher frogs includes other frogs, insects, spiders and earth worms. These frogs spend most of their time underground in burrows made by tortoises. 

The cause of this frogs decline is due to  the loss of open longleaf pine habitat needed for subsistence and the seasonal ponds needed for reproduction

This species is already so rare that if they disappeared it wouldn't greatly affect the ecosystem where the reside. However, just because they don't have a large niche in their ecosystem does not mean that they are not important. 

Fortunately, a conservation team has been set in place to  hopefully manage the recovery of the Mississippi gopher frog by managing the habitat, supplementing habitat with water that has good quality, raising tadpoles for release, constructing and restoring new breeding sites, and managing ecological requirements and diseases.

These conservation efforts are aided by using geospatial tools such as analyzing data of this frogs low population to find where the area of conservation needs to be concentrated at.

Here are 5 ways you can help the Mississippi Gopher Frog:

  1. Avoid draining seasonal wet lands.
  2. Avoid driving on and around breeding locations for this frog
  3. Avoid stocking wetlands where the Mississippi gopher frog lives with predatory fish
  4. Retain underground retreats in upland habitats
  5. Spread the knowledge needed to help protect this species

Sources:

https://www.denix.osd.mil/dodparc/denix-files/sites/36/2018/12/Recommended-BMPs_Gopher-Frog_Final2_Dec_2018_cleared_508-1.pdf

https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/5600

https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2013/05/07/endangered-mississippi-frog-finds-new-home

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