With an aim to repopulate the dusky gopher frogs, a critically endangered species, inside the refuge, the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge has been releasing hundreds of them.

Since May, the refuge workers have released 1,074 frogs into the wild. Experts affirmed that the species is native to Saucier in Harrison County. Wildlife biologist Angie Dedrickson said that the tadpoles are brought from Saucier to the Gautier refuge. These frogs are given proper care and then are released once matured.

Tadpoles are gathered from Saucier and then transported to Jackson. There, the tadpoles are kept in specially trained tanks so that their delicate needs can be fulfilled. When tadpoles become adults, they are released into the actual reservation with a hope that they will thrive there and reproduce successfully.

Specialists have been working hard to recreate the natural habitat of the small frog. It will help improve their chances of reproduction. The dusky gopher frogs are also known as the Mississippi gopher frog.

It is a small amphibian that grows up to three inches. It has a warty black and brown dorsal surface owing to which it becomes easy to spot it. It is famous for its special defense mechanisms and in fact, it can inflate its body and release a milky dense substance from specialized glands present inside the warts from its skin. It is expected that their number will improve significantly.