Mountain
yellow-legged frogs have disappeared from thousands of sites despite the
fact that the habitat at these sites is essentially unaltered from its
natural condition. Therefore, although habitat alteration is a primary
threat to amphibians worldwide, it is likely to have played a minor role
in the decline of the mountain yellow-legged frog. Scientists interested
in understanding the causes underlying the decline of the mountain yellow-legged
frog have therefore focused their attention on four other factors: introduction
of nonnative fishes, disease, contaminants, and elevated levels of ultraviolet
(UV) radiation. Research conducted during the past 15 years has greatly
increased our understanding of the relative importance of these potential
stressors.
Read on….
