The search for Lost Frogs

[Frog News]

EDGE Blog (Zoological Society of London, UK) February 18th, 2011 05:40 AM: The search for Lost Frogs

During August and December 2010 Conservation International (CI), in collaboration with the IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG) and Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC), supported expeditions to 21 different countries across 5 continents to find amphibian species that have not been seen in the past decade or more. Just four species on Conservation International’s Top 100 list of [...]
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[opistoglyph]

I do hope that as these people tromp around looking for the world's rarest amphibians, that they are using sterile equipment and clothing. There have been outbreaks spread before by careless researchers, and you can see it now on the news.

The whitenose bat fungus, primarily spread by the bats, I am certain is being spread by wildlife biologists. Not ONE film have I seen the researchers wearing gloves, sterile booties, etc., and some visit several caves a day or week. In one article a very emotional wildlife biologist said she sat on the floor and cried her eyes out when she returned home, removed her boots, to find the cleats filled with the crushed bones of dead bats from the two sites she had visited that day.

People involved in this research should have brand new equipment at each site and be dressed in forensic gear a la Andromeda strain, especially if they've worked with diseased amphibians or in places where disease was noted. Encouraging field herping to map species by the general public large scale has probably contributed to the spread of disease. Fad group tree hugging types helping migrating amphibians across the road by placing large numbers of mixed species in buckets has also been unconscionable.

Someone has to sit down and make some common sense rules for this kind of stuff. I haven't seen any SO far.

[John]

While I'm not familiar with the individuals involved, I do know people who work as part of the IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group. They tend to be long term amphibian researchers with a proven experiential and peer-reviewed publishing record.

That's not to say that accidents don't happen, but I'd rather see CI do this work than the work not be done at all. I certainly feel that a lot of lessons have been learned from what happened to the California Red-Legged Frog.

[tylototriton]

I'm going to agree with John here. The people working with this group are most likely anal about sanitization procedures. Lots of these amphibian research groups have sanitation protocols in place. Even I need to account for how I will halt the spread of Bd in my research protocols.

However, you are correct. Many field biologists have echoed the sentiment that we may be somewhat responsible for the spreading of these diseases.

Like John said though, at this point we need to exhibit caution but the value of the research that we're doing hopefully exceeds any possible problems we could cause.

[opistoglyph]

I do hope so. The carelessness and thoughtlessness of many of these research projects that I've seen has been kind of staggering at times.

Lots of people accept that because it is a well known organization, why of course the would think of _______?

The WWF's Galapagos tortoise hatching incubator was- at least up until fairly recently, the concrete block foundation of an old building with sheet tin laid on for a roof. A guy sat in a chair and checked the thermometer fairly regularly. When it got too hot, he raised a couple pieces of tin. And their rearing stations for rare Madagascan tortoises consisted of a square made of concrete blocks with no top so that rats and other wildlife would often raid the hatching pens and wipe them out. The same conditions here would get me arrested for animal abuse and neglect.

I agree the research and even collection of these rare species is essential, just worry about the activities of the participants.

I cringe every time I hear about the guys checking caves for white nose fungus. They even say on their videos NOT to shine lights on hibernating bats and awaken them because it weakens them and makes them more susceptible. So of course the videos are shot with what appears to be mercury vapor street lamps of 1,000,000 candlepower with the bats awakening and flopping around, guys handling them barehanded, then-whoosh- off to another cave.. These are State and Federal wildlife biologists doing this. Pardon my skepticism, but I don't know these IUCN people, but I HAVE experienced WWF and a few others.

[megous001]

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