I'm sure many of you are much more familliar with this topic than am I. For the others just learning of it, the Chytrid Eco-crisis is a world-wide spread of a mutation of an aquatic fungus that ordinarily consumes dead plant and animal matter in bodies of fresh water. This mutated version affects frogs and other amphibians, causing them to build up a very impermeable thick skin, preventing them from exchanging O2 and CO2, and from osmotic action of H2O. They then suffocate. Frogs are prey for many other species, including some of our beloved garters, so this is affecting all sorts of populations all over the world.

I'm posting this because if you are *not* familiar with Chytrid, Jeff Corwin on Animal Planet did a show on it that I saw last night. It will probably be very pedestrian for those of you who have studied this ecological crisis. I had only marginal knowledge of chytrid, and so found it quite informative.

If you can catch it on AP, I definitely recommend watching this.

One thing that was in this show, African Clawed frogs are supposed carriers of this without being susceptible to its effects. It was theorized that they were a major component in introducing it to our waters. Personally, I now feel I have to keep an eye on our beloved Toadie, the Fire-Bellied Toad, as he resides with Froggie, the ACF.