It seems that leap day is the perfect time to announce The Year of the Frog. That's right - 2008 has been designated "The Year of the Frog" in order to spread awareness of global amphibian declines and promote conservation efforts. Over 3,000 amphibian species are threatened with extinction- that's 50% of amphibian species! Causes of amphibian declines include habitat destruction, climate change, UV-B radiation, pesticide/herbicide use, disease (Chytrid fungus), and multiple factors working together (synergism).
The Chytrid fungus, which is affecting amphibians across the globe was probably introduced from the transport of Xenopus frogs(1) - those flat, funny-looking creatures sold in pet shops and laboratory supply catalogs. The Xenopus frog was first shipped around the globe for use in human pregnancy tests. Urine from a suspected pregnant woman was injected into the frog; hormones in the urine of a pregnant woman would stimulate the frog to lay eggs within 48 hours. Obviously, today, more advanced pregnancy tests are available, but Xenopus frogs are still used in many laboratory studies. There is still much work that need to be done to understand the chytrid fungus and its implications for amphibian survival.
So, what can you do to help your local amphibians? Don't use herbicides or pesticides around wet areas - RoundUp is highly toxic to all life stages of amphibians(2). Protect permanent and temporary ponds. Don't release captive animals to the wild - they may carry disease that can devastate a local population. If you are a teacher, use giant toads (Bufo marinus) in your classroom for dissection instead of native frogs. Most importantly - learn about the amphibians in your area - there's still hope!
~Carrie Elvey
To learn more about The Year of the Frog, stop by Amphibian Ark's website:
1. Weldon C, du Preez LH, Hyatt AD, Muller R, Speare R. Origin of the amphibian chytrid fungus. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2004 Dec [date cited]. Available from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no12/03-0804.htm
2.Relyea, R.A. (2005) The lethal impact of Roundup® on aquatic and terrestrial amphibians. Ecol. Appl. 15:1118-1124
