Skip to comments.
Frog killer found after 6-year stakeout ("Noah's Ark Solution" for amphibian extinction)
CNN ^
| Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Posted on 02/21/2006 10:16:17 AM PST by presidio9
-snip-
Such adaptations have kept frogs around for millions of years, but a recent checkup has scientists concerned. They fear a sudden mass extinction of amphibians on a scale and pace not experienced since the age of dinosaurs.
Nearly a third of the world's 6,000 species of frogs, toads and salamanders are in danger of disappearing, according to the Global Amphibian Assessment.
In the past 20 to 30 years, about 120 species of frogs are believed to have become extinct, the assessment found.
Human destruction of habitat is one reason for the loss. But there is a new enemy for which there may be no defense.
In 1998, Karen Lips, a young biologist from Southern Illinois University, helped identify a fungus that seemed to be killing off entire species of amphibians, -snip-
Frogs are considered a good indicator of the health of the Earth. They breathe through permeable skin and live both on land and in water. They likely would be the first type of species to suffer from pollution.
They are also a critical link in the food chain. Lips and her colleagues reported that in one Panamanian region that experienced a massive frog die-off, the snakes that feed on frogs began starving to death. Birds and mammals that eat the frogs there may also be in decline, Lips said.
-snip-
Her findings have triggered a mission to rescue frogs in the path of the fungus, led by Zoo Atlanta's Mendelson and Ron Gagliardo of The Atlanta Botanical Garden. The approach, reminiscent of Noah's Ark, involves capturing enough males and females from each species, and breeding them in captivity, to establish survival colonies.
The hope is this approach can buy enough time for scientists to figure out how to protect frogs from the fungus and reintroduce them safely
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: frogdeaths; frogdieoff; frogs; fungus; junkscience
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-27 next last
The last time I heard this story, global warming was definitely the cause. Now, it's our encroachment on their habitat. But there's a problem: Humans only occupy a small precentage of the planet. That alone can not be a contributing factor in such a mass extinction. Sounds more like natural selection to me. In which case, we should be minding our own business if we are honest about not interfering with nature.
1
posted on
02/21/2006 10:16:18 AM PST
by
presidio9
To: presidio9
If I were Karen Lips, I'd think about getting a name change.
Beyond that, all I have to say is that we are all DOOMED! Yessiree bob, time to put your head between your legs and kiss the old 'sit-upon" good-bye!
2
posted on
02/21/2006 10:19:56 AM PST
by
RexBeach
("There is no substitute for victory." -Douglas MacArthur)
To: presidio9
I'll say it... "Bush's fault". Ultimately, he and all Republicans, shall be blamed anyhow.
3
posted on
02/21/2006 10:20:27 AM PST
by
theDentist
(Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll.)
To: presidio9
Don't blame me, blame these teenage schoolgirls!
To: presidio9
This is exactly what I don't understand. The basic premise of environmentalism is flawed when we can not tell the difference between extinction due to human over harvesting/encroachment and natural selection.
We are constantly told not to mess with nature, but they interfere with natural selection on a mass scale.
In any case, it solidifies my belief that most environmentalists (not conservationists) are crackpots in search of a god.
To: pollyannaish
Right. Either we ARE to blame because of "Global Warming," or we need to get busy minding our own business. It's the nature of the game that most species fail.
6
posted on
02/21/2006 10:25:22 AM PST
by
presidio9
("Bird Flu" is the new Y2K Virus -Only without the inconvenient deadline.)
To: presidio9
I noticed no mention of the French.
7
posted on
02/21/2006 10:29:28 AM PST
by
Jaysun
(The plain truth is that I am not a fair man, and don't want to hear both sides.)
To: Jaysun
Comment #9 Removed by Moderator
To: bigfootbob
Frog Leggs! Hummmmmm......
To: presidio9
I believe it...the numbers of frogs these days ..at least leopard frogs is way down from the numbers I remember 40 yrs ago..
11
posted on
02/21/2006 10:50:53 AM PST
by
joesnuffy
(A camel once bit our sister..but we knew just what to do...we gathered rocks and squashed her!)
To: presidio9
"..triggered a mission to rescue frogs.."Oh, thank God! And none too soon, either!
At least they aren't using our tax dollars to fund this mission. (Whew!)
I dunno, all this talk about lips and frogs and whatnot...
12
posted on
02/21/2006 10:51:58 AM PST
by
Designer
(Just a nit-pick'n and chagrin'n)
To: joesnuffy
"..at least leopard frogs is way down from the numbers I remember 40 yrs ago.."
The #1 killer of frogs is Raccoons, I think you'll find their numbers have expanded tenfold since the peace-queers waged war on the fur industry.
13
posted on
02/21/2006 11:02:26 AM PST
by
Beagle8U
(An "Earth First" kinda guy ( when we finish logging here, we'll start on the other planets.)
To: Designer
I live in rural North Carolina... all the missing frogs are holed up on my property. Trust me, they are ALL here.
14
posted on
02/21/2006 11:14:34 AM PST
by
myrabach
To: bigfootbob
or Cajuns
Or the toad lickers for that matter. Once the powerful hallucinations begin, many druggies end up stepping on them or mistaking them for a bouncy ball. Very tragic.
15
posted on
02/21/2006 11:15:18 AM PST
by
Jaysun
(The plain truth is that I am not a fair man, and don't want to hear both sides.)
To: Jaysun
Better?
16
posted on
02/21/2006 11:15:43 AM PST
by
presidio9
("Bird Flu" is the new Y2K Virus -Only without the inconvenient deadline.)
To: presidio9
Oh yes, thank you. One might easily mistake him for a toad licker rather than a leg eater.
17
posted on
02/21/2006 11:17:25 AM PST
by
Jaysun
(The plain truth is that I am not a fair man, and don't want to hear both sides.)
To: presidio9; aculeus; dighton; Lijahsbubbe; martin_fierro
Frogs are considered a good indicator of the health of the Earth.
18
posted on
02/21/2006 11:21:24 AM PST
by
Thinkin' Gal
(As it was in the days of NO...)
To: presidio9
Someone call Australia! I believe that they are in the midst of a cane toad epidemic (introduced a couple of decades ago) that is killing the local fauna.
I wonder if a bit of fungus might not be the ticket for their problem?
19
posted on
02/21/2006 11:22:07 AM PST
by
heldmyw
To: heldmyw
I believe that they are in the midst of a cane toad epidemic (introduced a couple of decades ago) The cane toad epidemic is the result of another wonderful attempt by man to modify nature. I believe they were introduced to control the rodent population. Nobody figured they wouldn't only eat the animals we wanted them to eat.
20
posted on
02/21/2006 11:24:22 AM PST
by
presidio9
("Bird Flu" is the new Y2K Virus -Only without the inconvenient deadline.)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-27 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson