Cool article re: amphibian decline, new hope

[Martin21114]

Http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/204...inction-biological-control-disease-fungus.htm

stumbled across this on google news this morning, and I used to hate on fleas so much (dog owner). I guess every little animal has it's role...

PS Chytrid fungus kiss my $#%^!!!

 

[John]

Thanks Martin. However, it's unfortunate that the media are making this seem like it's even vaguely helpful to controlling chytrid. I've written more about this here: Could zooplankton save frogs from deadly epidemic?

 

[Martin21114]

Man that sucks, I thought they were really on to something there. So what's the best way to help, make a habitat and don't pollute?

 

[FrogEyes]

Yeah, it doesn't help much. Chytrid likes moisture, not open water per se, so it does quite well in soil. Likewise, Daphnia feed on particles in the water, NOT on fungal hyphae growing in the skin of an amphibian [particularly one on land], so no help there either. Going a bit further...chytrid likes it somewhat cool. Shallow pools suitable for copepods probably warm up considerably and limit both the ability of chytrid to grow, and of amphibians to suffer infection. Amphibians associated with these habitats tend not to suffer die-offs of this cause - it's those from high altitudes and fast-flowing water which do.

FYI - "water fleas" [aquatic crustaceans] have no significant relationship with "fleas" [terrestrial parasitic insects].