This leopard frog is missing a limb. It was attacked as a tadpole by a nematode parasite - Ribeiroia ondatrae. (Photo by Pieter Johnson)
New research says farm pollution is leading to an increase in frog
deformities. As Mark Brush reports, biologists say the pollution
causes an increase in harmful parasites:
Transcript
New research says farm pollution is leading to an increase in frog
deformities. As Mark Brush reports, biologists say the pollution
causes an increase in harmful parasites:
Water running off farm fields can carry fertilizers into nearby lakes
and rivers. Those fertilizers can then fuel algae growth. Researchers have found that a frog-
deforming parasite thrives in this algae rich environment.
Pieter Johnson is an ecologist at the University of Colorado. He
published his research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences. He says these microscopic parasites go after tadpoles:
“And those parasites swim around in the water and they’re specifically
looking for tadpoles and when then find one they burrow in, right around
the limbs, where the developing limbs are.”
The parasite attack can kill the tadpole or result in a frog with an
extra or missing leg. Johnson says these amphibians become easy prey
for birds or other animals. He says this cycle contributes to the
overall decline in amphibian populations worldwide.
For the Environment Report, I’m Mark Brush.