Researching Bullfrog Establishment Pathways and Control Techniques in the Yellowstone River, Montana

Scientists from USGS conducted research to study the ecological factors that facilitate bullfrog spread in the Yellowstone River and tested suppression methods. They conducted habitat modeling and detected 58 sits along 107 km of the river. Multiple field techniques were used to remove bullfrogs at various life stages from sites identified with bullfrog breeding, including seine netting, hand netting, pellet guns, dewatering, backpack electrofishing. Natural flow variation of Yellowstone River creates unfavorable conditions for bullfrogs and therefore controls their spread, so the team does not focus on restoring natural flow. Their nxt steps include executing targeted control and expanding research into population genetics and targeted control strategies.