The California Fish and Game Commission is weighing additional protections for mountain yellow-legged frogs, a native amphibian whose numbers are dwindling.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists the Southern California frog population as an endangered species. Federal officials say populations in the Sierra Nevada should be listed too, but the agency doesn't have the money or time to complete the process.
The yellow-legged frog was once the most abundant frog in the Sierra Nevada, but recent surveys found it has disappeared from 70 to 90 percent of its former habitat.
The Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition for the additional protections this week.
The state commission now has 90 days to rule whether to conduct a yearlong review for a possible listing under the state Endangered Species Act.
The Associated Press