Description
The loss of even a small species can have big consequences for its surroundings, and so it is with the northern leopard frog—as an indicator species, its wellbeing speaks volumes about the health of wetland ecosystems.
Depicted on the 2024 Specimen Dollar, the northern leopard frog was once widespread, but in western Canada, populations have been in sharp decline due to disease, habitat loss and degradation, and the introduction of invasive species. The Rocky Mountain population in British Columbia has been designated “endangered” by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) but there’s some good news: the B.C. Northern Leopard Frog Recovery Team are working to prevent this amphibian’s local extinction. As part of this team, the Wilder Institute supports head-starting efforts, a conservation breeding program and wild-to-wild translocations. Together with their partners, the Wilder Institute is giving northern leopard frog populations a much-needed helping hand and a shot at bouncing back. Mintage of 30,000.
The Design:
The set-exclusive specimen dollar features a reverse design by artist Julius Csotonyi. Its depiction of a northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens) shows the amphibian partially submerged in its wetland habitat, where it gently rests on aquatic vegetation, such as Ceratophyllum demersum. The obverse features the effigy of His Majesty King Charles III by Canadian artist Steven Rosati.
