Chytrid fungus

[mtolypetsupply]

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.

[drache]

heard about fungus affecting amphibs, but forgot most of the specifics
thanks for the reminder

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

Hi Stephi! and Everyone else!

I saw that program last night as well, and was very happy to hear about the different studies well under way in this fight against chytrid. It is encouraging. As I am a California native, I am very interested in what they may find out about our local Pacific Treefrog (Pseudacris regilla), which apparently has bacteria on its skin which inhibits the fungus' reach into the dermal tissue of the animal. The example in the Sierras, where the anti-fungal solution is being applied to individual specimens, is also fascinating, but I do not yet understand how this will help future generations, unless these suffering Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs (Rana muscosa) somehow magically acquire an anti-fungal defense of their own??? This is a long road to recovery, and time is of the essence. Last May I participated in our local zoo's Amphibian Arc endorsement. (The Sequoia Park Zoo is the smallest zoo accredited by the AZA.)

Yes, we are headed towards another massive extinction level event. Where humans will fit in the outcome of this is for humanity to decide (oh, the nightmare of trusting humans!). Our actions, our greed, our comfortable lifestyles have sped up the natural global warming process. It is thought that chytrid is flourishing because of these conditions. To date there is no cure. In my neck of the woods (Humboldt County), chytrid has not yet taken hold. Great, because we have about 15 salamander and 5 frog species living on our coastline, in our forests, and our coastal mountain lakes and rivers. Less than 2 hours east of us, in the Trinity Alps, chytrid has been found in the watersheds. So..... Since the Trinity River and the Salmon River begin in the Alps, and the Trinity and the Salmon run into the big Klamath River, we can expect for the fungus to eventually find its way down stream. Please understand that once chytrid has gained a foothold, it has the potential to wipe out up to 80% of all amphibian species living there within one year.

I have only lived here in NW CA since 2001, but in that time I have learned to hold dear to my heart all the wondrous animals that make up these threatened populations. Many species are still plentiful, others have been impacted by logging, siltification, pollution, bullfrogs, etc.
It would really bring me down to walk through the redwoods and not see any Ensatinas, Pacific Giant Salamanders, CA Slenders, No. Red-legs, etc.
Up here we also have the elusive Tailed Frog (Ascaphus truei) - nothing like it around; it is a primitive relic species which needs cold, clear, and shady creeks that flow year round; they are slow developers (2-4 years as a tadpole, and 7 or more years as a frog to reach maturity). If chytrid hits them, recovery may be impossible.

As Stephi mentioned, the loss of amphibians is going to have a tremendous effect on predator and prey species (already is!)- There goes a lot of garter food, and there goes some of our natural bug control!

Egads! Everytime I talk about the state of the environment I get totally depressed. Invasive aquatic fungi attacking amphibians; invasive roundworms wiping out earthworms in the UK; cane toads eating and poisoning Australian herpetofauna (and more); invasive mussels, snails, and pikeminnows; invasive weeds altering habitat; floating islands of plastic in the Pacific; where does it end? I know you all can add way more to this list.

Stephi, hopefully your African Clawed frog is clear of the fungus or your toad is immune. Maybe ya might want to buddy up with Animal Planet's sponsors - Chlorox! I wonder where you can go to get a chytrid test. In fact, that might be a local venture upon which to engage: get volunteers to regularly check local water supplies. We all know the red tape involved in getting the government to do anything comprehensive; by this I mean that even though there are govt. endeavors which are involved in the fight, such as those in protected parks, what about all the public and private lands? Anyone know if there's a chytrid kit yet?

Amphibians have enough to deal with: pharmaceutical waste coming from our toilets is rendering frog population male-less or permeated with dysfunctional mutations. Non-native trout stocking of alpine lakes (which never had any trout originally) are another issue (I posted a thread about this recently).

Okay, that's enough. I should really post shorter messages; that way I can have more posts to my name, and maybe go for that 3rd shed!

Steven

[Stefan-A]

Hi Stephi! and Everyone else!

I saw that program last night as well, and was very happy to hear about the different studies well under way in this fight against chytrid. It is encouraging. As I am a California native, I am very interested in what they may find out about our local Pacific Treefrog (Pseudacris regilla), which apparently has bacteria on its skin which inhibits the fungus' reach into the dermal tissue of the animal. The example in the Sierras, where the anti-fungal solution is being applied to individual specimens, is also fascinating, but I do not yet understand how this will help future generations, unless these suffering Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs (Rana muscosa) somehow magically acquire an anti-fungal defense of their own??? This is a long road to recovery, and time is of the essence. Last May I participated in our local zoo's Amphibian Arc endorsement. (The Sequoia Park Zoo is the smallest zoo accredited by the AZA.)

Yes, we are headed towards another massive extinction level event. Where humans will fit in the outcome of this is for humanity to decide (oh, the nightmare of trusting humans!). Our actions, our greed, our comfortable lifestyles have sped up the natural global warming process. It is thought that chytrid is flourishing because of these conditions. To date there is no cure. In my neck of the woods (Humboldt County), chytrid has not yet taken hold. Great, because we have about 15 salamander and 5 frog species living on our coastline, in our forests, and our coastal mountain lakes and rivers. Less than 2 hours east of us, in the Trinity Alps, chytrid has been found in the watersheds. So..... Since the Trinity River and the Salmon River begin in the Alps, and the Trinity and the Salmon run into the big Klamath River, we can expect for the fungus to eventually find its way down stream. Please understand that once chytrid has gained a foothold, it has the potential to wipe out up to 80% of all amphibian species living there within one year.

I have only lived here in NW CA since 2001, but in that time I have learned to hold dear to my heart all the wondrous animals that make up these threatened populations. Many species are still plentiful, others have been impacted by logging, siltification, pollution, bullfrogs, etc.
It would really bring me down to walk through the redwoods and not see any Ensatinas, Pacific Giant Salamanders, CA Slenders, No. Red-legs, etc.
Up here we also have the elusive Tailed Frog (Ascaphus truei) - nothing like it around; it is a primitive relic species which needs cold, clear, and shady creeks that flow year round; they are slow developers (2-4 years as a tadpole, and 7 or more years as a frog to reach maturity). If chytrid hits them, recovery may be impossible.

As Stephi mentioned, the loss of amphibians is going to have a tremendous effect on predator and prey species (already is!)- There goes a lot of garter food, and there goes some of our natural bug control!

Egads! Everytime I talk about the state of the environment I get totally depressed. Invasive aquatic fungi attacking amphibians; invasive roundworms wiping out earthworms in the UK; cane toads eating and poisoning Australian herpetofauna (and more); invasive mussels, snails, and pikeminnows; invasive weeds altering habitat; floating islands of plastic in the Pacific; where does it end? I know you all can add way more to this list.

Stephi, hopefully your African Clawed frog is clear of the fungus or your toad is immune. Maybe ya might want to buddy up with Animal Planet's sponsors - Chlorox! I wonder where you can go to get a chytrid test. In fact, that might be a local venture upon which to engage: get volunteers to regularly check local water supplies. We all know the red tape involved in getting the government to do anything comprehensive; by this I mean that even though there are govt. endeavors which are involved in the fight, such as those in protected parks, what about all the public and private lands? Anyone know if there's a chytrid kit yet?

Amphibians have enough to deal with: pharmaceutical waste coming from our toilets is rendering frog population male-less or permeated with dysfunctional mutations. Non-native trout stocking of alpine lakes (which never had any trout originally) are another issue (I posted a thread about this recently).

Okay, that's enough. I should really post shorter messages; that way I can have more posts to my name, and maybe go for that 3rd shed!

Steven

It is disconcerting to say the least, but in a way it's extremely fascinating as well. It's like witnessing continents colliding.

[reptile_jones]

I watched the show on AP. Very great info a must watch!!

[mtolypetsupply]

Sometimes, I come up with some crazy theories, just for fun. PM for my OJ Simpson theory, it's a hoot! LOL

Anyway, one of the things that they did to cure an outbreak of chytrid down in the Panamanian research center was to raise the temperature of the enclosures to 90 degrees. That killed the chytrid, and they had a 100% survival rate with that treatment. I'd be interested to see if it spreads to areas with temps that sustain in the 90's for weeks or months, and if detected, if the impact is the same as in cooler climes.

Now, for years, I have thought that global warming may have some benefits. Not that there aren't *perceived* negative consequences involved, but....

Our planet moves farther from the Sun each year. Each planet in our Solar System has lower temperatures the farther you get from the sun. Perhaps, in this great big experiment that is our Earth, global warming is actually a defense against that, and Mother Earth is developing her own way of sustaining life, long past what was possible when those other planets were closer to the sun.

Anyway...

Global warming is related to the chytrid fungus as if the habitats warm to a temperature in which the fungus cannot survive, we can again have more enclaves of chytrid - free areas. If we can preserve species in captive breeding programs, we can then again release them and have our fauna back in the wild again.

But by then, mosquitos and such will rule the world, keeping humans in captive breeding facilities of their own, selling us at "PeopleCO" or "PeopleSMART" or maybe "ShopHuman" or "Human-Dixie".

Steven, PLEASE don't shorten your posts! They're full of great info, and great brain candy!!!!!!!

[guidofatherof5]

Just fired an email off to AP to see if "The vanishing Frogs" is available yet on DVD. I'll post when I hear.

[Garter_Gertie]

Sometimes, I come up with some crazy theories, just for fun. PM for my OJ Simpson theory, it's a hoot! LOL

Anyway, one of the things that they did to cure an outbreak of chytrid down in the Panamanian research center was to raise the temperature of the enclosures to 90 degrees. That killed the chytrid, and they had a 100% survival rate with that treatment. I'd be interested to see if it spreads to areas with temps that sustain in the 90's for weeks or months, and if detected, if the impact is the same as in cooler climes.

Now, for years, I have thought that global warming may have some benefits. Not that there aren't *perceived* negative consequences involved, but....

Our planet moves farther from the Sun each year. Each planet in our Solar System has lower temperatures the farther you get from the sun. Perhaps, in this great big experiment that is our Earth, global warming is actually a defense against that, and Mother Earth is developing her own way of sustaining life, long past what was possible when those other planets were closer to the sun.

Anyway...

Global warming is related to the chytrid fungus as if the habitats warm to a temperature in which the fungus cannot survive, we can again have more enclaves of chytrid - free areas. If we can preserve species in captive breeding programs, we can then again release them and have our fauna back in the wild again.

But by then, mosquitos and such will rule the world, keeping humans in captive breeding facilities of their own, selling us at "PeopleCO" or "PeopleSMART" or maybe "ShopHuman" or "Human-Dixie".

Steven, PLEASE don't shorten your posts! They're full of great info, and great brain candy!!!!!!!

My mouth is hanging open... WOW! Man, you should have lived in the 60s when folks sat around and talked stuff like this all the time.

What WONDERFUL thoughts to think about!

I LOVE BRAIN CANDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Garter_Gertie]

Yeah, Steve. DO NOT shorten your posts. You are destined to limping along to sheds and 1,000 immortality.

If you shorten your posts the dummies - maybe just me - are destined to be dummies longer. And I would rather hasten my intelligence than prolong my dumminess.

Stefan, you, too. I may not always agree with you but I sure do learn things reading you.

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

Anyway, one of the things that they did to cure an outbreak of chytrid down in the Panamanian research center was to raise the temperature of the enclosures to 90 degrees. That killed the chytrid, and they had a 100% survival rate with that treatment. I'd be interested to see if it spreads to areas with temps that sustain in the 90's for weeks or months, and if detected, if the impact is the same as in cooler climes.

The temperature trick is a great trick, but like the anti-fungal treatment, I don't see how this endeavor can solve the problem in the wild. Let's say you have a species of frog which is almost wiped out, and you collect the few that are left to start a captive breeding program (Arc), and they are infected... In this case the treatment makes sense, as you are returning these specimens to a captive controlled situation. Treated frogs might, and that's a very scanty "might", be able to last longer when introduced back into the wild (as with the Mtn Yellow-legs), but here there is no guarantee of survival for the next generation, since chytrid is still in the habitat, and tadpoles have not been treated. Perhaps we may find some benign anti-fungal treatment that kills chytrid ONLY that could be used to treat the whole water body. Unfortunately, most insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, usually kill other organisms along the way.... Unless we want to start genetically engineering something that SPECIFICALLY kills chytrid??? Of course genetic engineering is one of those shady territories at times.

In regards to global warming, I don't believe that hotter climates will be off the hook. First, many tropical areas often don't hit extremely high temperatures. Did you know that Hawaii is the only state in the entire (AK incl.) U.S. that has never had temps go over 100 degrees? And just because a locale may be in the 90's does not mean that the water table is going to be that warm. This is an aquatic fungus!

No, I believe the temp solution may only work for infected specimens destined to survive in captivity. I completely endorse an Arc strategy until this issue can be resolved successfully. Of course that's a funding issue in most cases, and how do you pick and choose which species to save when there are so many on the brink at one time?!

As for the whole thing with the planet moving further from the sun: I am not well versed in astronomy, meteorology, geology, and the likes, but as I understand it, global warming has come and gone repeatedly over the course of the earth's history... so I don't know how this distancing is related. The effects of such gradual distancing might not even be obvious during the stretch of our lifetime. Global warming is a multifold issue that has interconnected causes, some natural, some accelerated my man's disregard or ignorance; unfortunately, just like an interruption in an animal food chain, cataclysmic chain reactions are an ultimate eventuality. I mean like they're saying the whole ocean conveyor system could come to a standstill... I don't even want to go there!

I consider myself a positive person, but the current state of the planet and its possible future state leaves me with a chill of foreboding. I personally believe a staggering portion of the human population is headed for a crash (along with most everything else). I dread the day when the ---- has hit the fan so hard, humans may become less than they are today... not just in population, but in regards to remaining civilized. Mob rules mentality today is just as barbaric and prevalent as it was during the heydays of Rome. Despite our technological advances, we still haven't leartned! If the evironment supporting this era's species [it won't be the end for everything! ] collapses, the most important thing on anyone's mind will be "Where do I get my next meal?" I hate to say it, but how many of you can ponder the reality of your pets suddenly looking delicious? You may say "Not me! Not my beloved snakies!" But how do you know how you will behave? You may have heard of the Donner party in the Sierras and the Andes soccer team....? Please count how many posts on this forum come from 3rd world nations; they don't have the luxury to keep pets; some of these animals instead become ......

I AM SO SORRY I WENT OFF ON THAT TANGENT! It's a horrible thought.
I'll stop now. We were talking chytrid. Oh bad Steve...

Okay, so have a happy day, heh?

Steven