RAMSEY CANYON LEOPARD FROG CONSERVATION AGREEMENT AND CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT AND STRATEGY Nongame Branch, Wildlife Management Division Arizona Game and Fish Department Phoenix, Arizona Ramsey Canyon Leopard Frog Conservation Team August 2007 Ramsey Canyon Leopard Frog Conservation Agreement and Conservation Assessment and Strategy TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 1: STATE CONSERVATION AGREEMENT.............................................................................. 1 PURPOSE AND NEED.........................................................................................................................................1 INVOLVED PARTIES .........................................................................................................................................2 AUTHORITIES....................................................................................................................................................3 OTHER AGREEMENTS AND DOCUMENTS.....................................................................................................3 IMPLEMENTATION OF CONSERVATION ACTIONS .....................................................................................4 RAMSEY CANYON LEOPARD FROG CONSERVATION TEAM ....................................................................4 ADMINISTRATIVE CLAUSES ...........................................................................................................................5 DURATION OF AGREEMENT ...........................................................................................................................6 LIABILITIES/WAIVERS.....................................................................................................................................6 SIGNATURES ......................................................................................................................................................6 PART 2: CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT AND STRATEGY ............................................................ 17 PURPOSE AND NEED.......................................................................................................................................17 POLICY FOR THE EVALUATION OF CONSERVATION EFFORTS (PECE) ...............................................17 CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT.........................................................................................................18 RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHIRICAHUA LEOPARD FROG ..........................................................................18 DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE: HISTORICAL AND CURRENT ...........................................................18 HABITAT...........................................................................................................................................................19 LIFE HISTORY AND ECOLOGY .....................................................................................................................21 BREEDING ....................................................................................................................................................21 HOME RANGE AND TERRITORIES..............................................................................................................22 AESTIVATION AND HIBERNATION ............................................................................................................22 LONGEVITY AND AGE AND SIZE AT REPRODUCTIVE MATURITY .........................................................22 DIET ..............................................................................................................................................................23 PREDATION ..................................................................................................................................................23 REASONS FOR DECLINE AND THREATS TO SURVIVAL............................................................................24 HABITAT FRAGMENTATION AND DISRUPTION OF METAPOPULATION DYNAMICS ............................24 LOSS OF GENETIC VARIABILITY................................................................................................................24 NON-NATIVE ORGANISMS..........................................................................................................................25 DISEASES AND PARASITES.........................................................................................................................26 ROADS, TRAILS, AND FIREBREAKS ...........................................................................................................27 FIRE...............................................................................................................................................................29 HUMAN POPULATION GROWTH AND GROUNDWATER DEPLETION......................................................29 COLLECTION AND VANDALISM.................................................................................................................30 MINING ACTIVITIES ....................................................................................................................................30 OVERGRAZING.............................................................................................................................................30 AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES......................................................................................................................31 EXISTING REGULATORY PROTECTION......................................................................................................31 CONSERVATION STRATEGY .............................................................................................................33 GOAL.................................................................................................................................................................33 OBJECTIVES.....................................................................................................................................................33 SUCCESS CRITERIA ........................................................................................................................................33 OUTLINE OF CONSERVATION STRATEGY TASKS.....................................................................................36 1. Administration of the Conservation Strategy ......................................................................................36 2. Secure, enhance, and create habitat .....................................................................................................37 3. Identify, establish, and enhance populations .......................................................................................39 4. Monitor extant populations and occupied or suitable habitats.............................................................40 5. Research...............................................................................................................................................41 6. Adaptive Management.........................................................................................................................43 LITERATURE CITED...................................................................................................................... 47 PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS AND UNPUBLISHED DATA.....................................................................55 ii Ramsey Canyon Leopard Frog Conservation Agreement and Conservation Assessment and Strategy TABLES Table 1. Detection of chytrid fungus in specimens of Ramsey Canyon leopard frogs. .............. 28 Table 2. Possible designations of focal, supplementary, and refugia sites.................................. 35 Table 3. Potential sites to investigate .......................................................................................... 35 Table 4. Stages of success to evaluate the efficacy of translocations.......................................... 41 Table 5. Implementation Schedule .............................................................................................. 44 APPENDICES Appendix 1. PECE Certainty of Implementation and Effectiveness........................................... 56 Appendix 2. Principal Contacts ................................................................................................... 58 Appendix 3. Arizona Leopard Frog Captive Care Protocol ........................................................ 62 Appendix 4. General Guidelines For Transportation of Leopard Frog Life Stages .................... 72 Appendix 5. Leopard Frog Egg Mass Collection and Transportation Protocol........................... 74 Appendix 6. Leopard Frog Tadpole Collection and Transportation Protocol ............................. 76 Appendix 7. Juvenile and Adult Leopard Frog Collection and Transportation Protocol ............ 78 Appendix 8. Captive Release Protocol for Larvae, Juvenile and Adult Leopard Frogs Native to Arizona.................................................................................................................................. 80 Appendix 9. Guidelines for Prevention of Pathogen Transfer in Aquatic Systems..................... 83 Appendix 10. Translocation Site Evaluation ................................................................................ 85 Appendix 11. Translocation Guidelines........................................................................................ 86 Appendix 12. General Visual Encounter Survey Method ...........................................................