Fungal culprit of
amphibian genocide –
Innocent scapegoat?
Amphibian populations are in the midst of a pandemic, the spread of chytrid fungus devastating species around the world. Conservationists have pointed a finger of blame at African clawed frogs: they are hosts of the fungus, have a degree of immunity and have spread around the world due to their use in research laboratories and hospitals.
The circumstantial evidence seems damming but research by Tinsley et al (2015) into long-standing UK populations suggests otherwise. Native amphibian species present alongside populations of African clawed frogs were not infected with chytrid fungus, despite the African clawed frogs themselves carrying it. What’s more, the African clawed frog populations have been present for decades yet surveys revealed continued high native species abundance. If fungal transmission from African clawed frogs were an issue then such levels of native amphibians would be unlikely.
It seems then that African clawed frogs may be scapegoats after all.
Interested in African clawed frogs? Check out these other Xenopus sciku: ‘Clawed frogs indicate‘, ‘Have frog, will travel‘, ‘Xenopus enrichment‘ and ‘Reservoir or predator‘.