Volunteers have been clearing the way for the safe passage of northern red-legged frogs in Portland, Oregon, said the Oregon Zoo on Thursday.
The frogs are hopping down from Forest Park, where they live most of the time, to Harborton wetlands, for seasonal breeding. That means crossing two roads, a four-lane highway, and two sets of railroad tracks.
“It’s like that old video game Frogger,” said Philip Fensterer, a marine life keeper at the Oregon Zoo by day and a volunteer “frog transportation specialist” by night. “In order to survive, these frogs need to make it across the road without getting hit by vehicles, and at rush hour, that’s no easy feat.”
The peak period for these crossings is during rainy evenings, in the winter and spring when the temperature’s 45 degrees or higher.
Fensterer, along with fellow Oregon Zoo keeper Amber Valdez, puts on rain gear and heads out to join a crew assisting with the Harborton Frog Shuttle, also known as the “Frog Taxi.”
Volunteers spread out and look for the frogs as they approach. When they see one, they grab them and transport them to their wetlands destination, where they are counted and released. After mating and laying eggs, the frogs head back uphill and catch another ride home to Forest Park.
Northern red-legged frogs are considered a federal species of concern and are protected in Oregon. The Forest Park frogs are Portland’s last significant population.
This year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Oregon Wildlife Foundation, and others are collaborating on a study to determine whether an underpass can be built below the highway for safe frog passage.
For now, a dedicated team of volunteers is keeping this population alive with one taxi at a time.
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