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Page Number: 5.0

2 

WEYERHAEUSER CO. v. UNITED STATES FISH AND 
WILDLIFE SERV.
 
Opinion of the Court 

I 

A 

  The  amphibian  Rana  sevosa  is  popularly  known  as  the
“dusky  gopher  frog”—“dusky”  because  of  its dark  coloring 
and  “gopher”  because  it  lives  underground.   The  dusky
gopher frog is about three inches long, with a large head, 
plump body, and short legs.  Warts dot its back, and dark 
spots  cover  its  entire  body.  Final  Rule  To  List  the  Mis-
sisippi Gopher Frog Distinct Population Segment of Dusky 
Gopher  Frog  as  Endangered,  66  Fed.  Reg.  62993  (2001) 
(Final  Listing).  It  is  noted  for  covering  its  eyes  with  its
front  legs  when  it  feels  threatened,  peeking  out  periodi- 
cally until danger passes.  Markle Interests, LLC v. United 
States  Fish  and  Wildlife  Serv.,  827  F.  3d  452,  458,  n. 2 
(CA5  2016).  Less  endearingly,  it  also  secretes  a  bitter, 
milky  substance  to  deter  would-be  diners.  Brief  for 
Intervenor-Respondents 6, n. 1.

The frog spends most of its time in burrows and stump 
holes  located  in  upland  longleaf  pine  forests. 
In  such 
forests,  frequent  fires  help  maintain  an  open  canopy,
which in turn allows vegetation to grow on the forest floor.
The  vegetation  supports  the  small  insects  that  the  frog
eats and provides a place for the frog’s eggs to attach when
it  breeds.  The  frog  breeds  in  “ephemeral”  ponds  that  are
dry for part of the year.  Such ponds are safe for tadpoles
because predatory fish cannot live in them.  Designation of 
Critical  Habitat  for  Dusky  Gopher  Frog,  77  Fed.  Reg.
35129–35131 (2012) (Designation).

The  dusky  gopher  frog  once  lived  throughout  coastal 
Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, in the longleaf pine 
forests  that  used  to  cover  the  southeast.    But  more  than 
98%  of  those  forests  have  been  removed  to  make  way  for 
urban  development,  agriculture,  and  timber  plantations. 
The  timber  plantations  consist  of  fast-growing  loblolly
pines  planted  as  close  together  as  possible,  resulting  in  a
closed-canopy  forest  inhospitable  to  the  frog.  The  near