Since June 2021, people have been coming across sick and dead frogs in eastern Australia, all the way from Rockhampton down through eastern NSW and into Victoria.\u00a0A number of species have been affected, including the Green Tree Frog and Peron\u2019s Tree Frog.\u00a0Initially, it was surmised that this was a result of the cold snap at the start of winter and frogs succumbing to another wave of the deadly amphibian chytrid fungus, which has been the cause of frogs deaths and extinctions around the globe since the 1970s.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, with reports of deaths still coming in, scientists have realised this outbreak has the potential to severely affect frog numbers around eastern Australia and are investigating further. The Australian Museum and Australian Registry of Wildlife Health are leading the investigation with help from vets, regionally-based amphibian researchers and frog-lovers around Australia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outbreaks of similar magnitudes to what we may be seeing have previously altered food webs permanently in other parts of the world, impacting reptile and bird populations through loss of prey.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers are calling upon all Australians to report frog deaths, to help uncover the cause. There are two ways you can assist these efforts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Report any dead frogs you see<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you see a dead frog, please report it. You can send information on dead frogs to the national citizen science project FrogID (run by the Australian Museum) using the email\u00a0calls@frogid.net.au<\/a>. Include details of the location and any photos that you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If possible, please also bag the specimen and freeze it, and let the Australian museum know in your email. When lockdowns ease, the team hopes to organise collection of these for microbial autopsies to be performed, to better understand the cause of these deaths. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Note that sick frogs should be taken to your local vet. Signs of sickness include: frog being slow to move, thin, and having discoloured skin (lighter or darker than usual).\u00a0Some frogs have been observed with red bellies, red feet and sloughed skins. Remember it\u2019s always important to wear disposable nitrile or latex gloves when handling frogs regardless of their health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Record healthy frog calls<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Another way people can greatly contribute to the investigation is to get outside and record healthy frog calls throughout spring.\u00a0We are lucky to have over 240 different frog species in Australia all playing an important role in the ecosystem.\u00a0Frogs are also important environmental indicators, providing humans with messages about the state of our water, habitat and even our soil quality.\u00a0As we move into spring and the weather warms up it\u2019s important to know where we still have healthy and diverse populations of frogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n