URAP students Bri Baumbach and Marc Bonnot have been working hard all semester on a project led by Max Lambert to quantify morphological differences across the range of the Cascades Frog (Rana cascadae). This species is undergoing review for listing under the United States Endangered Species Act. Bri and Marc will provide evidence for morphological differences among populations that will help in assessing whether Cascades Frog should become a listed species. The data will be merged with an ongoing genomic analysis by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (led by Max) to determine whether there is any important genetic and anatomical differentiation among Cascades Frog populations.

Bri and Marc measuring specimens in the MVZ

As the semester winds down, we were able to set up a visit for URAP students Bri and Marc to visit the CAS Herpetology collection (thanks Lauren for hosting!) to measure more Rana cascadae specimens. Lauren made time to show us the irreplaceable Galapagos tortoise shell collection. We learned that the animals were collected in 1905, and that during the collection trip the CAS burned down in the SF earthquake. The tortoises were then the new foundation of the collection when they arrived. At the time of their collection, more than 15,000 tortoises were being killed annually for various reasons (many for meat or other animal products).

Bri, Becca, and Marc with the tortoises. Photo by Lauren Scheinberg

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kate Montana, Becca, and Lawrence Uricchio were able to conduct a safe field collection trip to the Presidio, with the help of Jonathan Young in early October 2020. The animals that we collected that day are in the process of being accessioned — the first Pseudacris from San Francisco that have been added to the MVZ collection since 1923!

9:45am 03/11/2021. Adding some more information: This population of P. regilla is actually pretty interesting. The frog hadn’t been present in the Presidio for some time. They were recently reintroduced from a community garden in the potrero hill area. According to Jonathan Young, when that pond was removed by MUNI, some frog-loving folks relocated the frogs to the then recently created Presidio "dune pond." Thus, the frogs in this marsh are from SF, and actually there are still some P. regilla on private property near potrero hill, at least as of 5 years ago. This marshy area is marked off-limits to dog-walkers, to help preserve the area for the frogs to rebound.

The mostly drained east arm of Mountain Lake, where frogs (Pseudacris regilla) were found on dewy plants near the marshy pond.

Presidio of San Francisco, 11 October 2020