Frog Chytrid Fungus

By Maggie McKitrick

2007Block II

The top frog shows a Chyrid

Infection on the pink underbelly.

The bottom frog shows an infected, lethargic frog with

peeling skin.

Introduction

By doing this project, I have learned a lot about Chytrid Fungus and frogs in general. I have learned about what causes the fungus, how frogs get it, some side affects of the fungus and even about different species of extinct frogs because of the fungus. If you read this you will learn everything that I did!

How does Chytrid Fungus start?

A new scientific study suggests that climate change is

actually good for the fungus. The climate change has

made it so the temperatures are cooler during the day and

warmer during the night, with increased cloud cover.

With that climate change, it makes it easier for fungus

to grow.

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How does this fungus work?

The fungus attacks some parts of the frog’s skin with

keratin in them. Frog’s use their skin for respiration,

so this makes it very hard for the frogs to breathe.

With this fungus, frogs may have the following side effects: Have discolored skin, be sloughing, or peeling on the outside layers of its skin.

This can vary from obvious peeling of skin (particularly on the feet), to a roughness of the frog's skin that you can barely see.

Sit out in the open, not protecting itself by hiding Be sluggish, and have no appetite Have its legs spread slightly away from itself, rather than keeping them tucked

close to its body. In more extreme cases, the frog's body will be rigid, and its back legs will trail

behind it.

The Panamanian golden frog is one of 100 species

endanger of extinction.

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What kind of frog does Chytrid Fungus effect?

Chytrid Fungus does not effect just one species of frog. It effects

frogs all over the world.

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How has ozone depletion damaged frogs and other organisms?

Ozone depletion has increased ultraviolet radiation. It is affecting lots of different organisms such as frogs, coral reefs, insects, fishes and microorganisms. Ultraviolet rays make it so there is less water. When sunlight hits frog eggs with less water, it allows them to grow a different kind of fungus.

Frogs eggs QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

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How can we reverse this trend of Chytrid Fungus and climate change?

We can reverse the trend of this frog fungus by

Getting control of some environmental laws; we

can also sign the Kyoto protocol which focuses

on the emissions of six greenhouse gases

including carbon dioxide methane, nitrous oxide,

hydroflourocarbons, perflurocarbons and sulfur

hexafluoride.

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The extinct Hula Painted Frog

There are all kinds of extinct frogs because of the global warming problem. One kind of extinct frogs is called the Hula Painted Frog. It only lived in Lake Huleh marshes in Israel and adjacent Syria. Because of drainage of the marshes in the 1950’s, this frog species disappeared. The drainage was because of climate change and heat. Its body length was 4 cm and it was grey/olive-grey.

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The extinct Platypus Frog

Another kind of extinct frog is the Platypus Frog, short

for the Gastric-brooding Frog. They were found in Australian rainforests and the reason they have become extinct in the 1980’s is not very clear. It has something to do with pollution and climate change. The frogs are grayish/green and they are

50 mm.

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Bibliography

BBC News. "BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Climate culprit for frog deaths." BBC NEWS News Front Page. 11 Jan 2006. 29 Sep 2007 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4602116.stm>.

Department Of Environment and Climate Change. "Frog Chytrid Fungus." NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. 16 Dec 2004. 26 Sep 2007 <http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/Frog+Chytrid+fungus>.

"Frogs Australia Network - Australian Frog Database - Rheobatrachus silus - Southern Gastric Brooding Frog." Frogs Australia Network - Home. 23 Feb 2005. 26 Sep 2007 <http://www.frogsaustralia.net.au/frogs/display.cfm?frog_id=84.>.

"Israel painted frog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Main Page - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 26 Aug 2007. 29 Sep 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_painted_frog>.

Samurai, Prodigal. "Explaining the Kyoto protocol - Climate Change - Helium - by Prodigal Samurai." Helium - Where Knowledge Rules. 11 Oct 2007 <http://www.helium.com/tm/290172>.