Landscape-Scale Eradication of Bullfrogs for Native Aquatic Species Recovery in Southern Arizona

To restore native amphibian populations decimated by non-native American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana), a collaborative team of researchers, managers, and technicians (Frog Team) has been conducting mechanical removal at a landscape-level across southern Arizona. Since 1990s, the frog team has removed bullfrogs in a prioritized project area of 10,230 square miles and reestablished the native Chiricahua leopard frog populations. Bullfrogs were removed using bag seine nets, cattle tank draining, and .22 caliber rifles. Buffer zones were constructed to prevent bullfrog re-invasion. The project was funded by the USFW, NFWF, BLM, USFS, and Arizona Game and Fish Department.