The Holy Grail of Coqui problem?

[Lee G]

An infectious fungal disease in Panama is killing off the frogs! Here's the link:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=2057820&page=1

Lee

[Carey]

Lee, alothough it would be a dream if this one control would work, E. coqui do not seem to have the high levels of eradication. It does seem that there may be isolated pockets of infected E. coqui on the islands and there is the worry that these infected frogs may spread this devastastin amphibian fungal disease to other areas of the world, though it has spread very quickly worldwide (and may desimate the aquatic amphibians in many regions of the world). So even though there are no native, nor edemic amphibians in Hawaii, diseased amphibians from Hawaii could eradicate endangered amphibions in other areas of the world. FOr a juried article on This disease in Hawaii, see:
<http://www.jcu.edu.au/school/phtm/PHTM/frogs/papers/beard-2005.pdf>
ALoha, Carey

[Carey]

Sorry about the typos, the cat decided to help me, and it was hard to type with a fur bag in my face!
Aloha, Carey

[miketat]

actually the reason why coquis don't get out of control in Puerto Rico is due to a parasite there. But bringing that parasite onto the BI means just bringing in a new foreign species. You don't know what effects it will have on the environment. Same for the fungus - which kills in Costa Rica and Panama. But even if it would work for coquis, bringing in a fungus that is not native to the Big Island could have huge damaging effects. Don't play with fire.

Michael
http://www.punaguide.com



Edited by - miketat on 06/10/2006 07:52:01

[Carey]

Mike, The article on the coquis are the frogs in Hawaii, not P.R. There are isolated pockets of these infected frogs throughout the Hawaiian Islands. The fear that the researchers have is that the infected and resistant frogs in Hawaii may be transported (accidently) to areas in the world that do not have the fungi infestation yet.
Sorry for the confusion.
Aloha, Carey

[miketat]

sorry carey, i guess i read through the article too fast

[Les C]

Additionally, the authors suggest that the known potential dangers from this fungus to amphibians in other Pacific locations makes it an ill-advised control for Hawaii's Coqui. The reason that this fungus is already present in HI is not known. The Coquis could have picked it up from Bufos or the other introduces species (Bullfrogs?), or it could have come in contaminated water. Apparently, Coquis have already been transported to Guam.

Les

Volcano

[mella l]

Read an article today regarding the cane toads/frogs that Hawaii exported to Australia sometime in the 1930's to help Australia fight the cane beetles in their sugar cane fields. Well funny what goes around comes around eh?

In Australia these frogs take off small dogs and have attacked toddlers!

The geneticists there are now breeding male bull frogs that only carry male sperm in hopes of diminishing and eventually out breeding all females and making the cane toad in Australia extinct. Funny things with frogs is that some can and sometimes do become both sexes. We'll, see wish them luck! Then geneticists that is! LOL

mella l

Edited by - mella l on 06/10/2006 13:08:00