High dispersal in a frog species suggests that it is vulnerable to habitat fragmentation

Abstract/Summary

We examined dispersal rates in Columbia spotted frogs (Rana luteiventris) using capture–recapture analysis of over 10,000 frogs in combination with genetic analysis of microsatellite loci in replicate basins. We found that frogs had exceptionally high juvenile dispersal rates over long distances, large elevation gains and steep inclines that were corroborated by genetic data showing high gene flow.