Frogs living in unshaded greenhouses were found to be chytrid-free after being exposed to the fungus before release.
Scientists have found that providing frogs with heated shelters, also known as 'frog saunas', can help them fight off the deadly chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis).
The technique could potentially benefit other Australian amphibian species facing the threat of chytridiomycosis.
The use of warmer shelters is cost-effective, with shelters costing around $60 to build.
In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have found that providing frogs with heated shelters, or 'frog saunas,' can help them fight off the deadly chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) and potentially increase their chances of survival against future infections. This fungus has caused extinction of at least 90 amphibian species and threatens many more.
The green and golden bell frogs, an endangered species native to New South Wales, Australia, have been particularly affected by this fungus. These frogs prefer heated and humid environments created by these DIY saunas. According to research conducted at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, frogs living in unshaded greenhouses were found to be chytrid-free after being exposed to the fungus before release.
Frogs with access to these shelters have higher body temperatures and lower infection rates over time. Additionally, frogs that cleared their infections using high heat are more resistant to re-infection. This technique could potentially benefit other Australian amphibian species facing the threat of chytridiomycosis.
The use of warmer shelters can be easily and inexpensively deployed, costing only around $60 to build. Researchers envision people putting these heat shelters in their backyards to help frogs during winter.
It is important to note that while this technique shows promise, it should not replace other conservation efforts such as habitat preservation and the prevention of invasive species introductions. The chytrid fungus is just one of many threats facing amphibian populations worldwide.
A deadly fungal disease called chytridiomycosis or chytrid has been wiping out amphibians worldwide, contributing to the extinction of at least 90 species and the decline of hundreds more.
The primary cause of this fungus is Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which thrives in cool weather and cannot tolerate heat.
A new study suggests that conservationists might be able to help frogs fight off chytrid by providing them with thermal shelters, such as piles of sun-warmed bricks.
These thermal shelters boost the frogs’ body temperatures, helping them recover from fungal infections and potentially setting them up for long-term survival.
The green and golden bell frog, a vulnerable Australian species that used to be common in southeastern Australia, has disappeared from much of the landscape and is now listed as endangered in New South Wales.
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The article contains a few informal fallacies and an example of inflammatory rhetoric. It uses anecdotal evidence ('a simple pile of sun-warmed bricks... attracts the green and golden bell frog') to suggest that thermal shelters boost frogs' body temperatures, helping them beat back fungal infections. Additionally, the author employs inflammatory language when referring to Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis as 'this unprecedented pandemic of wildlife' and describing its impact as 'devastating'.
A fatal fungal disease has devastated the world’s amphibians.
The disease, known as chytridiomycosis, or chytrid, has driven at least 90 species of amphibians extinct and has contributed to the decline of hundreds more.
Conservationists might be able to keep the fungus at bay by giving frogs a warm place to ride out the winter.
Scientists have developed a low-cost method to potentially save Australia’s green and golden bell frogs from extinction caused by the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.
Frogs living in unshaded greenhouses were found to be chytrid-free after being exposed to the fungus before release.
Green and golden bell frogs prefer the heated and humid climate created by these DIY saunas.
Frogs with access to these shelters have higher body temperatures and lower infections over time.
Using warmer shelters can increase the chance of survival for green and golden bell frogs against future infections.
A DIY brick sauna made of masonry bricks is helping frogs fight off a deadly fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) that has caused extinction of at least 90 amphibian species.
Frogs with access to these shelters have higher body temperatures and lower infections over time.
Frogs that cleared their infections using high heat are more resistant to re-infection.
Green and golden bell frogs are an endangered species in New South Wales, Australia.
Amphibians able to withstand heat can clear chytrid infections when kept warm for long enough.
Artificial hotspot shelters built from brick and plastic tarp could help infected green and golden bell frogs recover from chytrid infections and develop immunity to subsequent Bd exposures.
Frogs infected with chytrid effectively recovered within days when given access to a thermal gradient habitat.
A previously recovered subgroup of frogs was about 23 times more likely to survive a second exposure than a naive control group.
In mesocosms with unshaded, hotter shelters, frogs had significantly lower infection intensity over the duration of the experiment compared to those with shaded, cooler structures.
