Smithsonian Announces Frog Rescue Project
Fungus killing off species of amphibians
AP
A fungus proving fatal to many species of amphibians gets a fight from the Smithsonian.
WASHINGTON -- The Smithsonian Institution is leading an effort to combat the spread of a fungus that is killing frogs and other amphibians at an alarming rate.
The Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project was announced Monday at the National Zoo in Washington. It includes eight zoos and research institutions.
Already, the chytrid fungus threatens to wipe out a third of the approximately 6,000 known amphibian species.
Scientists will focus on a small swath of Panama where frogs are still healthy. They're searching for ways to build frogs' resistance to the fungus, using the animals' natural bacteria.
Conservationists said 122 amphibian species are believed to have gone extinct in the last 30 years, primarily because of the fungus.
Copyright Associated Press
Posted Monday, May 11, 2009 - 7:07 PM EST
