Release the Gopher Frogs!

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Last night, during a Thunderstorm, some brave souls joined us for a trial release of Gopher Frogs (Lithobates capito) into their mesocosm, where hopefully they will acclimate to their new home in time to reproduce this fall+.

The Gopher Frog Release Team (July 31, 2018) Anthony Mandica, Crystal Mandica, Lillie Kline, Roberto Valencia and Aunt Christina
Amphibian Foundation Co-founder Crystal Mandica introducing a Gopher Frog into the mesocosm
Kevin McCauley, Executive Director of the Blue Heron Nature Preserve stopped by to release a Gopher Frog
Lillie Kline, from Atlanta Audubon Society reaching for a jumpy Gopher Frog
Roberto Valencia, our newest international intern from Ecuador, show here adding Gopher Frogs to their new home.
This new captive breeding program, which the Amphibian Foundation is developing with Zoo Atlanta, GA DNR, USFWS and UGA aims to produce healthy, captive bred Gopher Frogs (a state 'Rare' species, and Georgia's rarest frog). The mesocosms, or controllable artifical wetland ecosystems will ideally serve as a way to provide all necessary conditions for the frogs to be healthy and breed in pseudo-situ.

There are seven Gopher Frogs in this photo, all in their new habitat: not in situ, but also not quite ex situ — in pseudo-situ!

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