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Archives of The Cold Blooded NewsThe Newsletter of the Colorado Herpetological SocietyVolume 31, Number 3; March, 2004 |
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Poison Frogs Upgrade Toxins Peringuey's Desert Adder Desert Spiny Lizard UVB Lighting A Baby Dragon, or a Bad Joke Escaped HK Croc Returns To Media Spotlight Again Chytrid Appeal Give 'em some Gator-aid Venom common, predates snake evolution PREVIOUS ISSUES February 2004 January 2004 2003 Index 2002 Index Earlier Issues About the Cold Blooded News CHS Home Page |
Chytrid AppealReprinted from HerPET-POURRI, by Ellin Beltz, in the Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society, Vol.38, No.9, September 2003.Originally from the Durango, Colorado, Herald, July 24. "The Colorado Division of Wildlife is asking for the public's help in monitoring fragile boreal toad populations, along with stopping the spread of the fungus believed to be responsible for putting the toad at risk of extinction. Boreal toads have been an endangered species in Colorado for the past decade and still are declining. While biologists aren't exactly sure what caused the toads' demise, they believe it is because of a fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or frog chytrid.... Boreal toads were known to exist at one time in the Weminuche Wilderness and along the Pine River. 'We haven't seen any in the last 10 years,' said ... a wildlife biologist with the Division of Wildlife in Durango. 'Several people have looked, including trained herpetologists. That's not to say they don't exist. We're just not locating them.' [He added] that that biologists have found at least three new boreal toad breeding sites. 'But every time they end up being chytrid positive. We're seeing the fungus have a significant impact on these sites....' Hikers, campers and anglers can help by disinfecting their shoes and any equipment ... with a 10 percent bleach solution, and any mud that collects on surfaces or wheels of vehicles should be removed. Boots and waders should be soaked briefly in a bleach solution and allowed to dry thoroughly.... Boreal toads (Bufo boreas boreas) began declining about 20 years ago and are federally listed as 'warranted but precluded' under the Endangered Species Act. Surveys indicate as much as 85 percent of Colorado's population has disappeared. The Division of Wildlife has been taking steps to ensure the toads' survival and has been rearing them in captivity since 2000. A breeding population of more than 1,000 toads was established at the division's John W. Mumma Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility in Alamosa in the San Luis Valley. The boreal toad, which grows to a maximum length of 4 inches, is one of 17 amphibian species native to Colorado. They live almost exclusively above 8,000 feet and can be found up to 12,000 feet. They live in forested areas and need shallow standing water for breeding. There are about 68 known breeding populations of boreal toads in the southern Rocky Mountains, and most of those are in Colorado. Most of the breeding populations are very small, and their ability to sustain themselves is uncertain. In the southern Rockies, the boreal toad has dark, brown-black bumpy skin and usually a white or cream-colored stripe down its back. The division asks that if you see a boreal toad, don't touch it or take tadpoles from the water, and contact the division." Copyright © 1998 - 2006, Colorado Herpetological Society. All rights reserved. | ||
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