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[Ebony]

Kurt, The frogs started with red thighs and walked around slighty raised as im guesing it hurt. I noticed they spent more time in the water, I thought it might have been soothing, how ever some frogs just sat out in the open and didn't move around as much and their skin was kind of dull. The breathing was shallow and they looked abit hunched towards the end. When they died their tummys and thighs were very red and they were not as fat as they usually were. Their little hands were clenched and red too. It took weeks for them to die and it was horrible to see as you could tell they were in pain.

[adawinters]

Some plants can withstand BRIEF, mild, bleach rinses. I know that aquatic plants can be dipped in mild bleach solutions and washed thoroughly, which kills of parasites before introduction to fishtanks.

NE herpetoculture supply has a moss caresheet that includes proceedure for bleaching mosses: http://neherpetoculture.com/mosses.htm

This solution sounds stronger than anything I would want to use for most leafy plants, though, and I really don't know what one would do about roots, which have to be kept moist, and I would be afraid to expose to bleach. Does anyone know how long chytrid can remain active in moist conditions without a host? (Since it's a fungus, I'm guessing that could be quite a while.)

I don't know if the leaves of plants qualify as dry enough for the to kill off chytrid on their own. Maybe, if you re-potted the plants and put them all in the sun for a few days, that would create a dry enough environment. I'm sure someone else will chime in.

[adawinters]

... and isn't red-thigh indicative of another, non-chytrid ailment that frogs can get? I haven't had to deal with it yet, so I can't recall the factoids I've read about it. But, hey, you might not have to treat for chytrid, afterall. If I'm not mistaken, Chytrid would have manifested as some kind of white film/slime as the fungus coated the frogs' skins.

[Kurt]

What it sounds like is "red leg", a bacterial infection and not chytridiomycosis. "Red leg" is a very contagious disease that can be lethal. It usually manifests itself in unsanitary conditions.
Chytridiomycosis manifest differently than "red leg". I had to deal with chytrid late last year with a fire salamander. The salamnder was lethargic, it stopped using its hide box (very unusual behavior for a salamander), and it stopped eating. More importantly it's skin began to fluff off, so when I handled it bits of black skin would be left all over my hands, and white patches also appeared on the skin.

So in conclusion, I believe your frogs did not have chytridomycosis, but had a bacterial infection commonly called "red leg". Here is a link for more info http://animal.discovery.com/guides/r...egdisease.html

[Ebony]

Thanks Kurt and jclee, Im going to look into it.

[Kurt]

You're welcome.

[Ebony]

Hi Kurt,John and Jclee, I think you are right, it was Red Leg. Thanks for that, you guys are amaizing and have alot of knowledge which is very comforting to know.
It was a couple months ago now and 3 remaining adults are still ok. I know one of them had started the symtoms for sure and even though I treated for Chytrid it seems (touch wood) to have fixed the red leg. Or not.
Do you think if they are still ok now, then they will be clear of this or could it still come back?

They are eating well and the male is croaking every day.
Since the treatment there has been no sign of any redness at all.

[Kurt]

As long as things are kept sanitary, you should be ok. Red-leg usually pops up in unsanitary conditions.

[Ebony]

Thanks Kurt,
So would I have got this Red leg because my tank was unsanitary or because I purchased a frog that came from an unsanitary tank, reason being that ive never had this problem before and I thought I kept me tanks immaculate. Was it a coincidence that this happened when I bought that frog and it died a week later. I would appreciate this Kurt as I dont ever want this happening again.

[Kurt]

It is possible to bring it home on a new animal that is infected and from there spread it around. That's why quarantining new animals is so important. Also frogs sometimes have a tendency to sit in the same spot a lot and deficate there as well. So if the frog is sitting in its own excriment all the time it is likely that it can come down with the disease.
So in the future quarantine all new frogs (or other animals) before introducing to an already established population. Also keep a sharp eye out for feces, escially if your frog isn't all that active.

[eipper]

HI all,

Chytrid is present and has caused declines on a number Australian basking species. Including Litoria aurea, L. raniformis and Taudactylus eungellensis.

Its thought that Chytrid actually was the main cause that has led to the possible extinction of Taudactylus diurnus, T. acutirostris and Litoria castenea, all of which were diurnal species that Basked or spent considerable time exposed to Direct sunlight.

While Chytrid is weaked to exposure to UV radiation I doubt It will kill off the fungus entirely.

Cheers,
Scott Eipper

[John]

But don't Rana muscosa bask like bullfrogs do? Rana muscosa is one of those species that is seriously in trouble because of chytrid.

Yeah but the frogs I'm thinking of are not aquatic or semi-aquatic like those two Ranids - my guess is that you need both dry conditions and the basking, as I stated.