GREEN RIVER -- Federal officials are seeking additional scientific information about the populations and habitat of the northern leopard frog, a tiny spotted amphibian that can be found in most areas of Wyoming.

The data about the species' range and distribution will be used in a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assessment of the status of northern leopard frog populations in the West.

The status assessment will serve as the basis for the agency's determination as to whether the frog population warrants protections under the Endangered Species Act.

The western northern leopard frog is endemic in 19 states, including Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Idaho and Utah.

The species is common throughout Wyoming -- except in Teton and Park counties and Yellowstone National Park -- but is considered uncommon in a large portion of its range, according to Wyoming Game and Fish Department data.

Federal biologists believe leopard frog populations are currently undergoing a dramatic decline from vast areas of its historical range in the western United States and Canada.

A coalition of eight conservation groups -- including the Center for Native Ecosystems and the Laramie-based Biodiversity Conservation Alliance -- submitted a petition to the UWFWS in 2006 seeking to protect the amphibian throughout its historic range west of the Mississippi River and Great Lakes.

USFWS officials completed an initial review of the petition in May, which concluded that western populations of the frog may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The agency is embarking on a more thorough, scientific review of the species before making a final determination.

The northern leopard frog ranges from 2 to 4.5 inches long and is marked by large, oval dark spots, each of which is surrounded by a lighter halo.

The amphibian survives in a mosaic of aquatic habitat ranging from slow-moving or still water to streams, rivers, wetlands and beaver ponds. The species buries in the mud to winter in ponds and can live in mountain elevations up to 11,000 feet.

Scientists have been reporting declines in northern leopard frog populations since the early 1960s. The Center for Native Ecosystems estimates frog populations have declined from 38 to 85 percent of its historic range in Wyoming alone.

Conservationists believe the diminishing frog numbers are caused by a variety of factors, including declines in water quality, pollution, disease, climate change, introduced non-native species, chemicals and wetland and habitat loss.

The petitioners contend the western U.S. population of the species is genetically distinct from the eastern northern leopard frog. Under Endangered Species Act rules, species' populations that are discrete, significant and threatened can be considered for protection.

USFWS spokesman Jeff Humphrey said last week the agency has extended the period for accepting information on the species through Nov. 27.

He said the agency is seeking scientific information on the historic and current status and distribution of the northern leopard frog, its genetics, ongoing conservation measures for the species and its habitat, and threats to the species among other pertinent data.

Scientific information can be submitted through the agency's eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov.

Contact southwest Wyoming bureau reporter Jeff Gearino 307-875-5359 or gearino@tribcsp.com

NewsTracker

Last we knew: An initial petition review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined the western northern leopard frog may warrant federal protection as a threatened or endangered species.

The latest: The agency is working on a second, more-detailed review of the petition submitted by eight conservation groups in 2006.

What's next: The Service is accepting scientific information about the northern leopard frog and its habitat through Nov. 27.