Yosemite’s Turtles Make a Comeback After Bullfrogs Booted Out

For years, Yosemite’s ponds were full of noise—but not from turtles. The loud, deep croaks of American bullfrogs had taken over, and native turtles quietly disappeared. But not anymore.

A new study shows that once these invasive frogs were kicked out, native northwestern pond turtles started showing up again. Finally, the ponds are starting to sound—and look—like home again.

Back in the 1950s, bullfrogs were brought into Yosemite from the eastern U.S. By the 1970s, they had taken over many parts of the park. These frogs eat pretty much anything they can fit in their mouths. That includes baby turtles, young snakes, newts, birds—you name it.

So, researchers from UC Davis spent seven years studying what happens when you remove these frog bullies. The results were loud and clear: where bullfrogs vanished, turtles returned.

The study looked at four sites. Two had bullfrogs, two didn’t. Where bullfrogs were present, only old, big turtles remained—the kind too large to be swallowed. But in the bullfrog-free zones? Juvenile turtles started popping up. Some sites even had up to 100 times more turtles once the frogs were gone.

And it wasn’t just turtles. As the bullfrogs went silent, native frogs and salamanders started making noise again too. The ponds came back to life.

This is a big deal because California only has one native freshwater turtle—the western pond turtle. And it’s in trouble. It has vanished from over half its range. If it disappears completely, that’s it. No backup. No second species. It’s gone.

Getting rid of bullfrogs everywhere might not be realistic. But this study shows that in the right places, clearing out the invaders can give native turtles a real shot at bouncing back.

And honestly, who wouldn’t want to trade a pond full of croaking pests for one where real wildlife is thriving again?