Re: NANFA-L-- more on disease dangers - cytrid fungus info

Bonnie McNeely (bnmcneely-in-sbcglobal.net)
Sat, 26 Aug 2006 08:40:04 -0700 (PDT)

Becky, Batrachus is an old Greek name for frog in general. You're right that Dendrobates is the generic name for poison dart frogs. Chytridae is a group of "fungae," (they may end up being classified with protista, closer to certain algae than to fungae) with mobile spores. The species that infects amphibian skin was first known from the Golden Toad of Central America. You should be able to find a lot more about it by googling. The specific epithet of this fungus probably does derive from the fact that it infects Dendrobates. Batrochotoxin is the name for a whole series of toxins found in a variety of vertebrate animals that interact with ants. The toxin is called batrachotoxin because it was first known from frogs. Later it was described from a New Guinae bird, and the thought then was that a gene for its production had been evoluationarily conserved from the time of the split between amphibians and reptiles. Now it is known that the toxin is in ants, and that
vertebrates physiologically sequester it, rendering the animal toxic. Wow, right!? Ain't nature grand? I'm sure you can find more about this by googling, too.

Dave

Becky Kendell <appycowgirl34-in-yahoo.com> wrote:
<>

This may not be the list to ask this question, but since it was mentioned, is there anyone out there who knows details about this fungus? I am into frogs, and heard about it a lot, but I never saw the scientific name for the fungus....it confuses me....Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.... Dendrobatid is the scientific name for poison dart frogs...and batrachotoxin is the toxin found in dendrobates terribilis (the most poisonous creature on the planet). What is the connection between these two things that makes their name so similar? Was it maybe first discovered on dart frogs?

Becky
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