Darwin's Frog is Extinct: Males "Nursed" Tadpoles in Vocal Sacs

[findi]

Hi, Frank Indiviglio here. I’m a herpetologist, zoologist, and book author, recently retired from a career of over 20 years with the Bronx Zoo. When it comes to inventive – some might say bizarre – breeding habits, amphibians are without equal. Several, such as the skin-brooding Surinam Toad, are well-known, but recent studies have revealed others that could not have been predicted – i.e. tree-dwelling tadpoles that consume bark and others that gorge upon their father’s skin (which re-grows for their dining pleasure!) or on “egg omelets” whipped up by mom (please see articles linked below). But even Charles Darwin would be shocked by the habits of a small frog he first described on his famous voyage, the Darwin’s Frog, Rhinoderma darwini. Males guard their eggs and then gobble them up. The tadpoles live in the vocal sac, feed upon nutritious parental secretions, and then emerge from their fathers’ mouths as fully-formed froglets! Sadly, all evidence indicates that this astonishing creature is extinct – the latest victim of the infamous chytridiomycosis epidemic. Read the rest of this article here http://bit.ly/1jmK0nS
Please also check out my posts on Twitter http://bitly.com/JP27Nj and Facebook http://on.fb.me/KckP1m

My Bio, with photos of animals I’ve been lucky enough to work with: http://bitly.com/LC8Lbp

Best Regards, Frank Indiviglio

 

[Micrathena]

What?! Extinct? I haven't even seen one in person yet... Chytrid is monstrous, for sure.

 

[viper69]

What?! Extinct? I haven't even seen one in person yet... Chytrid is monstrous, for sure.

Thaknks Frank. Chytrid was just found in Kansas of all places too.

 

[findi]

Thaknks Frank. Chytrid was just found in Kansas of all places too.

Hi - thanks for the info; It seems as more and more researchers become aware of it, we're seeing more testing, more evidence,. etc....what this all means is not always clear, however; in some places, it is devastating, of course, but other factors are likely involved; it's been around a long time, shows up in museum specimen's, etc, but perhaps mechanics of infection are changing, immune systems of victims affected by other conditions, etc. Here's one example: http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatr...acteria-a-look-at-the-confusing-new-reports/; best, Frank

 

[viper69]

Hi - thanks for the info; It seems as more and more researchers become aware of it, we're seeing more testing, more evidence,. etc....what this all means is not always clear, however; in some places, it is devastating, of course, but other factors are likely involved; it's been around a long time, shows up in museum specimen's, etc, but perhaps mechanics of infection are changing, immune systems of victims affected by other conditions, etc. Here's one example: http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatr...acteria-a-look-at-the-confusing-new-reports/; best, Frank

Do you have a reasonable estimate of how old some of those museums specimens were? I did not know it had been found in museum specimens. I also read (I can't remember where) that some researchers are studying the frogs that have managed to survive it or at least appeared not be affected in the wild despite the rest of their immediate population dying off. It's been a sad state of affairs for amphibians in particular.

 

[findi]

Do you have a reasonable estimate of how old some of those museums specimens were? I did not know it had been found in museum specimens. I also read (I can't remember where) that some researchers are studying the frogs that have managed to survive it or at least appeared not be affected in the wild despite the rest of their immediate population dying off. It's been a sad state of affairs for amphibians in particular.

Some involved African Clawed Frogs collected in the 1930's...thee may be newer info/updates by now; yes, immunity has been reported in several North American species, perhaps elsewhere; here's a related article: http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatr...fers-immunity-against-deadly-chytrid-fungus/; best, Frank

 

[viper69]

Some involved African Clawed Frogs collected in the 1930's...thee may be newer info/updates by now; yes, immunity has been reported in several North American species, perhaps elsewhere; here's a related article: http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatr...fers-immunity-against-deadly-chytrid-fungus/; best, Frank

Wow, I hadn't realized this has been around for that long, interesting, clearly something/s went askew and tipped the balance in favor of chytrid. I'm pretty sure I have heard of resistance/immunity in some individuals of frog populations down in Central or S. America though.