CASPER STAR TRIBUNE (Wyoming) 02 January 04 Fungus found among Grand Teton's amphibians
Jackson, Wyoming (AP): A fungus blamed for a mass die-off of amphibians across the world has been found in Grand Teton National Park.
Researchers discovered that 17 of 20 toads captured along the Snake River in May tested positive for chytrid fungus. Six of 20 toads taken near Flagg Ranch also had the disease.
"I think it's something we need to get a grasp on throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem," wildlife biologist Sue Wolff said in presenting her findings at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Symposium last month.
Four of 12 toads captured in July, outfitted with radio collars and re-examined in September no longer had the fungus, and scientists aren't sure why it disappeared.
While no dead toads were found, researchers did collect dead Columbia spotted frogs.
According to the federal Centers for Disease Control, the fungus was first reported in 1938 in Africa. Scientifically known as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, it was discovered in North America in 1961, Australia in 1978, Central and South America in the 1980s and Europe in 1997.
The chytrid fungus attacks a substance called keratin, which forms a resistant layer in animal skin. When amphibians are infected, the layer is damaged.
How chytrid actually kills toads and frogs is still unknown, and some scientists believe that a toxin produced by the fungus may be responsible, according to the World Wildlife Fund's Web site.
In Rocky Mountain National Park, the disease has decimated two species, including boreal toads.
"That's kind of scary because Rocky Mountain is a very pristine area, and it's not too far away from us," said Wolff, who secured a grant from the National Park Service to conduct the study.
She said she hopes to continue the study to learn whether the disease is harming Grand Teton's amphibians.
On the Net: CDC chytrid fungus site: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no12/03-0804.htm
Fungus found among Grand Teton's amphibians