Lithobates fisheri

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AMPHIBIA	ANURA	RANIDAE

Scientific Name:

Lithobates fisheri

Species Authority:

(Stejneger, 1893)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Las Vegas Leopard Frog

Synonym/s:

Rana fisheri Stejneger, 1893

Taxonomic Notes:

Since its description, Lithobates fisheri (Stejneger 1893) has been considered a distinct species (Linsdale 1940; Jennings, Riddle and Bradford 1995), a subspecies of L. pipiens (Stebbins 1959) or a synonym of L. onca (Jennings 1988; Stebbins 2003). Morphological analyses support the view that L. fisheri represents a separate species (Jennings, Riddle and Bradford 1995).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Extinct ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2004

Assessor/s

Randy Jennings, Geoffrey Hammerson

Evaluator/s:

Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson, Neil Cox and Bruce Young)

Justification:
Listed as Extinct because it has not been recorded for over 60 years, and extensive searches have failed to locate this species.

History:

1996	–	Extinct
1994	–	Extinct? (IUCN)
1990	–	Endangered (IUCN 1990)
1988	–	Endangered
1986	–	Endangered (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species was known from a small number of localities, elevation ca. 600m asl, in the northern portions of Las Vegas Valley, Clark County, Nevada, USA (Jennings, Riddle and Bradford 1995).
Countries:	Regionally extinct: United States
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	It was last seen in 1942 (Wright and Wright 1949) and is now believed to be extinct (Jennings, Riddle and Bradford 1995).

Population:

It was last seen in 1942 (Wright and Wright 1949) and is now believed to be extinct (Jennings, Riddle and Bradford 1995).

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This frog was restricted to freshwater streams, springs, seeps, and adjacent riparian habitat associated with the Upper Las Vegas Valley (Wright and Wright 1949). Egg masses are not known, but metamorphic individuals were collected in the same habitats as those used by adults (Wright and Wright 1949).
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	It is extinct evidently due to habitat loss resulting from spring capture and ground water pumping by the growing city of Las Vegas (URS 1977), and exacerbated by the introduction of the Bullfrog Rana catesbeiana. Although some suitable habitat persists within or near the former range of this species, only R. catesbeiana can be found.

Major Threat(s):

It is extinct evidently due to habitat loss resulting from spring capture and ground water pumping by the growing city of Las Vegas (URS 1977), and exacerbated by the introduction of the Bullfrog Rana catesbeiana. Although some suitable habitat persists within or near the former range of this species, only R. catesbeiana can be found.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	No conservation measures are needed; this species is extinct.

Conservation Actions:

No conservation measures are needed; this species is extinct.

Citation:	Randy Jennings, Geoffrey Hammerson 2004. Lithobates fisheri. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 10 March 2010.
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