by Playfuls Staff |
2nd April 2007
A fungus that has been spreading throughout Central America threatens to wipe out a Panamanian national treasure -- the [more] golden frog.
The Houston Chronicle reported on an effort by the Houston Zoo to try to rescue the small frogs from the chytrid fungus, which coats the skin of amphibians, suffocating them.
The fungus has been spreading rapidly in South and Central America, wiping out amphibian populations to a dire extent, the newspaper said. Experts fear that by the end of 2007, certain amphibian species may be extinct.
Bill Konstant, director of science and conservation at the Houston Zoo, is working with biologist Edgardo Griffith in Panama, trying to collect surviving golden frogs -- which get their name from their Technicolor appearance. However, Konstant told the Chronicle they are finding many more dead frogs then live ones in area rivers.
The golden frog was reportedly already in danger before the fungus moved in. Habitat encroachment and illegal hunting for the pet trade were previous dangers, but nothing compared to the scope of the fungus, the newspaper said.
The golden frog is a national symbol in Panama, appearing on T-shirts, postcards and other tourist items.
© 2007 UPI
