frogs in misery

8/17/2000 Why Are Amphibians Dying ?

3/20/2000 Genetic crops and deformed frogs and insects?


	1997: The frogs are in trouble, and maybe the rest of us should be paying attention!
	Reports of deformed frogs, toads, and salamanders have increased sharply since 1995, and the cause has yet to be determined. Too many or too few legs or eyes, as well as internal deformations that prevent them from living long or reproducing are being found in samples all over the US, as well as in other countries. Minnesota authorities issued bottled drinking water to people living in the affected areas when it was discovered that frog embryos placed in their regular drinking water would develop the deformities.

	North American Reporting Center for Amphibian Malformations. Check out their "Articles and News Releases" links.
	For photos of sadly developed frogs, see "Deformed Frog Pictures".
	Chris Bury of "Nightline" on ABC TVdid a show called "Freaky Frogs, Big Mystery"; this is the WWW version he did. Transcript of the "Nightline" show, with Ted Koppel's introduction (June 20, 1997).
	If frogs were to disappear, the world would be a poorer place. I suppose there are people who don't care much for frogs, having not had much exposure to nature, but the sound of frogs creaking away on a summer evening is one of the most peaceful thrills there is, and to see cute little tadpoles swimming in the water and watch them transform into big-eyed frogs is a great childhood experience. It is tragic that amphibians are actually disappearing from many areas in the world, and it is also a sad thing that frogs are suffering with these deformities. Furthermore, many researchers see the highly sensitive frog acting as the "canary in a coal mine": a warning sign and wakeup call to the human race.
	A quote from a scientist involved in the research: "If this is not baloney, boy are we in trouble."

THIS JUST IN (Frogs have plenty of fatal problems)

02:02 PM ET 06/24/98

Zoologists identify mysterious fungus killing frogs

(Release at 1800 GMT, Wednesday, June 24)
            LONDON, June 24 (Reuters) - Zoologists have discovered a
mysterious new fungus that is killing the world's frogs and
toads, New Scientist magazine said on Wednesday.
            They think the unnamed fungus that suffocates the amphibians
by coating their undersides and legs could be the cause of a
major decline in frogs reported around the globe.
            Scientists do not know where the fungus came from or how it
spread but it has struck 10 species of frogs and toads in 10
areas of Australia, seven species in Panama and six species in
American zoos and aquariums.
            ``There is little doubt that this is a worldwide
phenomenon,'' veterinary pathologist Allan Pessier, of the
National Zoological Park in Washington, told the magazine.
            The fungus, which was discovered independently by
researchers in the United States and Australia, belongs to a new
genus of chytrid, a group thought to be related to the earliest
fungi.
           ``The scientists don't yet know if the fungus is the primary
cause of death, or is killing the animals weakened by other
factors, such as ultraviolet radiation penetrating the
atmosphere due to the thinned ozone layer or agricultural
chemicals,'' the magazine said.
            The fungus has been in American zoos since 1988 and was
found in Australia in 1993.
            Pessier and his colleague Don Nichols teamed up with Joyce
Longcore of the University of Maine to identify the fungus.
Meanwhile, researchers from the Australian Animal Health
Laboratory near Melbourne made a similar discovery which will be
reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
next month.
            The researchers, who are not sure if the frogs which breathe
through their skins are suffocating because of the fungus or if
it is releasing a toxin, called for further research.
            ``Multidisciplinary teams of scientists need to work out
exactly what role this fungus is playing and what can be done
about it,'' said Pessier.

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