The cold, alpine lakes of the high Sierra once hummed with the splashing and soft, clicking chirp of the yellow-legged frog. Like many fragile amphibians, however, the small, often darkly dotted frogs with yellow undersides have seen their numbers collapse over the years, first when predatory trout were introduced to lakes for fishing, and then by a menacing fungal disease. Today, the 2- to 3-inch-long frogs are absent from about 70% to 90% of their historical range. But the fortunes of the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog may be turning. Researchers behind a 15-year effort to revive the endangered species at Yosemite National Park reported Thursday that the frog’s population at the park has begun to rebound.

Related articles:

• University of California, Santa Barbara: Frog populations once decimated by disease mount a major comeback
• Cosmos Magazine: “Mind blowing” reintroduction of endangered frogs to Yosemite