Deadly, Widespread Fungus Killing Darwin's Frogs

New research shows that many Darwin's frogs are dying due to a widespread fungus, known as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or chytrid fungus, that's devastated many amphibian. populations.

Researchers examined specimens from both species and found that the fungus began to show as early as the 1970s, which is also consequently when the frog population began to decline.

Charles Darwin first came up with the name for this frog in 1834 while visiting the island of Lemuy in the Chiloe Archipelago.

Prior to just 1975, scientists believed that both the northern and southern species were the same creatures. However, research shows that they were in fact, two separate ones. Yet the Darwin's frog was already well on its way to extinction, and hasn't been spotted in the wild since 1980.

Researchers note that the fungus outbreak was first discovered in frogs in Queensland, Australia in 1993. The fungus had also previously been found in South America, which led many to believe that it was killing both species of Darwin's frogs.

By examining the specimens, researchers found that 12.5 percent were infected with chyrid compared to persevered samples collected from 1970 and 1978. Only one percent of these tested positive for the fungus.

"Amphibians have inhabited the earth for 365 million years, far longer than mammals. We may have already lost one species, the northern Darwin's frog, but we cannot risk losing the other one," said Soto Azat, according to a press release.

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal PLOS ONE.