[Michaelangelica]

[quote]Probiotics' could save frogs from extinction

"Probiotics" could be used to tackle a disease which is decimating amphibian populations around the world.

The idea, now tested in the lab, is to use naturally occurring bacteria that kill the fungus which causes the condition. Chytridiomycosis, as the disease is known, has been identified as one of the main threats to the survival of up to a third of the world's amphibian species (see Global frog crisis defies explanation)[/QUOTE
]Article Error - New Scientist
Science news and science jobs from New Scientist

[Michaelangelica]

More frogs that kick ass
11 species of African frogs can morph toes into claws to kick predators
June 24th, 2008 - 3:22 pm ICT by ANI - Email This Post Email This Post

Washington, June 24 (ANI): A new research by biologists at Harvard University has determined that at least 11 species of African frogs can morph toes into claws, which they use to kick predators.
The unusual defense mechanism involves the different species puncturing their own skin with sharp bones in their toes, using the bones as claws capable of wounding predators.

11 species of African frogs can morph toes into claws to kick predators - Thaindian News

“If frogs become extinct, mosquitoes will increase.
Then the spread of diseases like malaria, dengue will be exacerbated.
I realise how every creature in the animal-chain is important.”
The frog population has declined in recent years due to fungal virus attack known as chytrid fungus and chytridiomycosis.

Kids in Coimbatore “leap-like-a-frog” to draw attention to conservation efforts - Thaindian News

[Michaelangelica]

Ultrasonic Frogs Can Tune Their Ears To Different Frequencies

ScienceDaily (July 22, 2008) — Researchers have discovered that a frog that lives near noisy springs in central China can tune its ears to different sound frequencies, much like the tuner on a radio can shift from one frequency to another. It is the only known example of an animal that can actively select what frequencies it hears, the researchers say.

Odorrana tormota is the only animal that is known to actively select what frequencies it hears. Researchers believe its unusual ears and ultrasonic calls are an adaptation to a noisy environment. (Credit: Photo courtesy of Albert Feng)

[Michaelangelica]

(CBS) Amphibians like the red-legged frog are Earth's ultimate tough guy. For millions of years they've endured - even through previous mass extinctions. But now scientists say their numbers are declining at a rate that sends a deafening warning about human impact on climate change and the environment, CBS News science and technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg reports.

"These guys are survivors, yet here they are in our time, when more than 40 percent of amphibians around the world are threatened," said Vance Vrendenburg, associate professor at San Francisco University.

Climate change and disease are seen as the most serious threats to amphibians like the harlequin frog from Equador - specifically, a fungus known as chytridiomycosis.
"The perfect storm is happening," Vrendenburg said. "All these different factors are leading to their decline, and it's really, really serious. We've been finding dead frogs by the hundreds and thousands."

"Perfect Storm" Killing Earth's Frogs, Many Factors Threaten Several Species Of Usually Resilient Amphibians - CBS News
Video at this site

[Michaelangelica]

Frogs | Pesticides | Chytrid Fungus | Global Warming

Atrazine, perhaps the most commonly used herbicide on the planet (33 million kg are applied each year in the US alone), can cause hermaphroditism in frogs (males grow female sex organs) at ecologically relevant doses, and can reduce survivorship in salamanders. Roundup (also sold as Touchdown Total) is lethal to gray treefrog and leopard frog tadpoles, and most likely a host of other as yet untested frog species. Roundup is the 2nd most commonly applied herbicide in the USA;

Poster for sale

The text at the top of the poster reads as follows:
"Amphibian populations have been declining worldwide at unprecedented rates, and nearly one-third of the world’s 6,316 amphibian species are threatened with extinction. At least 100 species have completely disappeared since 1980, many from seemingly pristine wilderness areas such as national parks and preserves. Factors responsible for amphibian declines and disappearances include pollutants, infectious diseases, habitat loss, invasive species, climate change, and over-harvesting for the pet and food trades. Australia is home to 216 frog species, some of which are pictured below. The future of these and many other species is largely dependent on us. To learn more about frogs, and to find out ways to help, please visit www.savethefrogs.com." All posters are printed on recycled paper.

Frogs | Pesticides | Chytrid Fungus | Global Warming

Also good link
Poison Dart Frogs | Red Eye Treefrog

[Michaelangelica]

Frogs are Amazing

About 18 wonderful photos of frogs ( and toads they don't seem to see the difference)
Unfortunately the pictures have nothing to do with the mindless article
Amazing nature - All about nature, travel and vacation: Most Poisonous Animal

[Michaelangelica]

. . .do survive.

Robyn Williams: Last time we talked it was about a means of treating frogs with this chytrid fungus, which is one of the main culprits killing them, and it was experimental. How has it gone?

Phil Bishop: It's gone really well. What we've been finding now is that we can treat the frog...so we can infect the frogs and (and these are Archey's frogs as well)...we can infect them with the chytrid disease, and we can treat them and cure them with our chloramphenicol. But what's even more interesting is that once we've cured a frog we can then infect it again and it is able to cure itself without being treated.

Robyn Williams: How's that?

Phil Bishop: It must be some kind of acquired immunity that when the frogs actually survive a chytrid infection that then they have an immunity. So it doesn't stop them becoming infected but it stops the infection from turning into a disease and killing them.

Robyn Williams: And of course the big difficulty is getting the chloramphenicol actually to the frogs which are out there in the wild, and they're the ones you want to save, not necessarily just the ones in your laboratory.

Phil Bishop: That's right, and that's another problem. There's actually an Australian student doing her PhD at the moment who is looking at just a very small increase in the salinity of the water will actually give the frogs some resistance to the chytrid, but of course that's not going to help us with terrestrial frogs. So we can't really treat the frogs in the wild yet, and we're still looking at some method of trying to do that.

Robyn Williams: Are you doing various experiments of how to distribute the chloramphenicol and ways in which to spread it about?
. . . .

Lots more at
Science Show - 30August2008 - Attacking chytrid, the killer frog fungus
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New Zealand Frog Week
28 Sept - 4 October 2008

Frog Week

[Turtle]

I spotted a little froggy hunting the grass next to my compost pile, and I detained it briefly for questioning. No animal was harmed in the making of this interrogation video. Anyone know what species this is ,or if it's an alien to the Pacific Northwest US or not?

(processing error; BRB)

Here we go thens:

YouTube - froggy

[Michaelangelica]

LOL( many times) I liked. No rep allowed sorry

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by Turtle

Anyone know what species this is ,or if it's an alien to the Pacific Northwest US or not?

It looks to be a Pacific Tree Frog. They are native and apparently very common.