New hope for threatened Aussie frogs in the fight against Chytrid
With Save the Frogs Day happening this week, let’s make some noise by exploring why these ‘ribbeting’ creatures risk extinction – and discover what is being done to protect these heroic hoppers
READING LEVEL: GREEN
Fresh hope has been found for one of Earth’s most critical critters as frog fans mark Save the Frogs Day on Tuesday.
Amphibians* have been around for more than 350 million years and continue to play a crucial part in ecosystems* around the world as both predator* and prey*.
However, the unique creatures have now started declining faster than any other type of vertebrates* and scientists are in a race to save as many frogs as they can.
According to biotech* company the Colossal Foundation, more than 500 species across the world are on the brink of extinction, with at least 90 already extinct by the time a deadly fungal disease called chytrid was discovered.
Spreading through touch and water, the spores of chytrid infect frogs and tadpoles through their skin, causing them to get sick and die.
Chytrid has been involved in the extinction or decline of 43 of Australia’s amphibian species – about one fifth of our frog species in total.
When it comes to impact on wildlife, chytrid now rates as the most destructive pathogen* in history. The fungus has spread across more than 60 countries, killing the most amphibians in Australia, Central America and South America.
NEW HOPE FOR OUR FROGS
While traditional conservation has struggled to stop the spread of the deadly fungus, a revolutionary new project using genetic engineering* could shine new hope on the fight to save Australia’s frogs.
The Colossal Foundation, the conservation arm of Colossal Biosciences, has pledged $3 million USD over three years to the Pask Lab at the University of Melbourne, in order to help save native amphibians in Australia from the devastating fungus.
The research will use techniques taken from Colossal’s work to de-extinct* the thylacine and mammoth in order to develop genetic immunity*. Alpaca antibodies* could also play a part in developing a solution.
Colossal Biosciences’ chief biology officer, Professor Andrew Pask, said it was essential to protect frogs in order to protect the wider environment.
“Chytrid fungus has been one of the most devastating wildlife diseases in Australia’s – and the world’s – history, driving the decline and extinction of dozens of native frog species,” he said. “Frogs play a critical role in ecosystems, both as predators and prey, so their loss has cascading* impacts on biodiversity*.
“This project represents a new generation of conservation science, using advanced biology strategies to help protect vulnerable species.
“Protecting frogs means protecting the health and resilience of Australia’s ecosystems as a whole.”
Colossal Foundation director and chief animal officer Matt James said helping to stop the spread of chytrid was a non-negotiable.
“This isn’t optional,” he said. “We have to give our frogs a fighting chance and ensure they remain a vital part of our planet’s biodiversity* for generations to come.”
WHY FROGS ARE IMPORTANT
Amphibians are a crucial part of ecosystems all over the world. They are considered an indicator species – a species whose health points to the health of the wider ecosystem. Amphibians are also both predator and prey, creating a vital link in the food chain that could disrupt the whole ecosystem in a major way if removed.
Frogs eat pesky insects like mosquitoes, which make them extremely important in the fight against deadly mosquito-borne diseases like malaria*.
They can also be a source of new medicinal compounds*. Secretions from the skin of some frogs have been researched for their uses as painkillers, antibiotics and in the treatment of various diseases.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- Amphibians: cold-blooded vertebrates that live in both water and on land with moist, permeable skin and a life cycle usually starting as larvae with gills before transforming into an adult with lungs. Examples include frogs, toads and salamanders
- ecosystems: communities of living creatures interacting with each other and the physical environment
- predator: an animal that hunts another creature for food
- prey: a creature than gets hunted by another for food
- vertebrates: animals that have a backbone
- Biotech: a company that merges living things with technology, in this case, to protect animals from extinction
- pathogen: a microorganism that causes disease in a host body, examples include bacteria, fungus and parasites
- genetic engineering: changing an organism’s DNA in the lab to alter its characteristics
- de-extinct: bringing back an animal from extinction
- genetic immunity: engineering immune processes in order to defend organisms against disease
- antibodies: what the body produces to fight off disease
- cascading: a downward flow where each stage is dependent on the previous one
- biodiversity: the variety of all living things on Earth
- malaria: a serious and sometimes deadly parasitic disease that humans can catch from mosquitoes if they are bitten by the female Anopheles species. Malaria is preventable and curable but remains a big problems in Africa
- medicinal compounds: active ingredients used in medicine. Some one these active compounds are taken from plants and animals and others are produced in labs
EXTRA READING
Meet Australia’s frog whisperer
Famished frog feasts on snake
Tiny frog species found in NSW
QUICK QUIZ
1. What is the name of the deadly disease that is wiping out frog species across the world?
2. How many countries has this disease spread to?
3. How many of Australia’s amphibian species have started to decline or have become extinct as a result of this disease?
4. In what way are amphibians a crucial part of ecosystems?
5. How can frogs help in the fight against malaria?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Cause and effect chart
Work with a classmate and create a cause and effect chart detailing all the problems vulnerable frogs are currently facing, and the effects if this happens (see example below).
CAUSE
Fungal disease called Chytrid spreading rapidly
EFFECT
Frogs getting sick
Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and social, Critical and Creative thinking
2. Extension
Brainstorm some solutions on how to save the frogs.
Why are frogs so important to our ecosystem?
Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative thinking
VCOP ACTIVITY
BAB it!
Show you have read and understood the article by writing three sentences using the connectives “because’’, “and”, and “but” (BAB). Your sentences can share different facts or opinions, or the same ones but written about in different ways.