Emily Chan
A sauna in Sydney is shielding hundreds of Australian green and golden bell frogs from the winter chill. The sauna is basically a small greenhouse containing sun-warmed bricks painted black. The green and gold colors of the frogs become more vibrant in the heat.
Not only does the sauna provide the frogs with some warmth, but it also protects them from a flesh-eating chytrid fungus that would push them to extinction. The disease is water-borne and burrows into the frogs’ skin. It attacks the parts of the skin that have keratin in them.
Since frogs use their skin in respiration, they have a hard time breathing due to the fungus growth and eventually die. The fungus also damages the nervous system and affects their behavior.
According to Anthony Waddle, a biologist from Macquarie University, the disease has caused the decline of 500 amphibian species and the extinction of 90 all over the world.
Six of the now-extinct species lived in Australia. The green and golden bell frogs are listed as endangered in the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.
Chytrid fungus is spread by direct contact between frogs and tadpoles or through exposure to infected water. It was thought to have been introduced to Australia through the port of Brisbane around 1978.
From there, it spread across the continent. The first recorded cases were in South Australia in 1995 and Tasmania in 2004. It likely became so prevalent due to the global transportation of amphibians. The fungus is such a problem that many frogs are now living in glass boxes for their own protection.
However, the small saunas could improve the future of the Australian green and golden bell frogs. The chytrid fungus cannot grow on the frogs in the warm climate. This allows the frogs to battle the infection and survive.
Frogs are extremely important to the environment, as they are indicators of the health of ecosystems. Without frogs, entire ecosystems will collapse.
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