Sun-loving frogs
A splendid leaf tree frog
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Tuesday, 20, Nov 2007 09:28
Global warming could be responsible for the decline in sun-loving South American tree frogs, scientists believe.
A team of researchers from Manchester University and the Manchester Museum are using a technique called optical coherence tomography (OCT) to investigate the properties in the skin of the tree frogs to determine whether environmental changes are driving falling numbers of amphibians.
The Costa Rican tree frogs being studied prefer to live on leaves and branches high above the ground.
They enjoy lying in the hot sun, which most frogs avoid as prolonged exposure to high levels of light increases the risk of overheating and dehydration.
Tree frogs are thought to be able to withstand the heat as they have the ability to regulate their body temperature and prevent overheating through the unique structure and properties of their skin.
But an increase in cloud cover resulting from global warming is preventing the opportunity to sunbathe and kill off fatal Chytrid fungal infections - leading to the death of many species, the researchers propose.
They hope to use the OCT scans to compare structural changes in the skin of tree frogs with the structural changes in the skin of frogs that do not have the same high levels of infrared reflectance.
"With a third of the world's amphibians currently under threat it's vitally important we do our utmost to investigate the reasons why they are dying out at such an alarming rate," said Andrew Gray, curator of herpetology at the Manchester Museum.
"The imaging technique we use is completely non-invasive and does not harm the frogs in any way."