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What is the United States doing about amphibian deformity and decline issues?

In response to indications of worldwide declines in amphibian populations, Interior Department agencies were directed to initiate a national program of amphibian monitoring, research, and conservation. There is an urgent need to determine the scope and severity of the problem and to investigate causes. As a result, the USGS formed the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI). The main goals and objectives of ARMI are to:

  • Provide information to natural resource managers on the status and trends of amphibians.
  • Relate status and trends to management options at the scale of management units.
  • Identify causes of declines.
  • Provide essential scientific information to support effective management actions to arrest or reverse declines

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An American bullfrog.

What causes deformities in frogs, toads, and other amphibians?

Malformed frogs first came to national attention in 1995. Since that time, reports of malformed frogs and other amphibians have increased dramatically. Malformations have been reported in at least 44 states and in more than 50 species of frogs and toads. Multiple limbs, missing limbs, and facial abnormalities are the main malformations seen. Frog malformations are the result of environmental...

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What causes deformities in frogs, toads, and other amphibians?

Malformed frogs first came to national attention in 1995. Since that time, reports of malformed frogs and other amphibians have increased dramatically. Malformations have been reported in at least 44 states and in more than 50 species of frogs and toads. Multiple limbs, missing limbs, and facial abnormalities are the main malformations seen. Frog malformations are the result of environmental...

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Image: Pacific Chorus Frog

Why are amphibian populations declining?

Research suggests that even though amphibians are severely declining worldwide, there is no smoking gun—and thus no simple solution—to halting or reversing these declines. Though every region in the United States has suffered amphibian declines, threats differ among regions. They include: Human influence from the Mississippi River east, including the metropolitan areas of the Northeast and the...

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Why are amphibian populations declining?

Research suggests that even though amphibians are severely declining worldwide, there is no smoking gun—and thus no simple solution—to halting or reversing these declines. Though every region in the United States has suffered amphibian declines, threats differ among regions. They include: Human influence from the Mississippi River east, including the metropolitan areas of the Northeast and the...

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Eft Stage of a Red-Spotted Newt

How many amphibian species are there in the United States?

More than 6,000 amphibian species exist worldwide, with approximately 300 of them found in the United States. The USGS is the lead agency for the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI), a program of amphibian monitoring, research, and conservation that was established in response to the worldwide decline of amphibian species.

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How many amphibian species are there in the United States?

More than 6,000 amphibian species exist worldwide, with approximately 300 of them found in the United States. The USGS is the lead agency for the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI), a program of amphibian monitoring, research, and conservation that was established in response to the worldwide decline of amphibian species.

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Image: Measuring a Frog in the Cascades
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Image: Salamander
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Image: Salamander
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Image: Surveying Bullfrogs
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An invasive American bullfrog with tracking device.
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Image: Weighing a Toad
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USGS Scientist Mark Roth listening to frog calls.
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Image: Black-Bellied Salamander
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Image: USGS Scientist Conducting Amphibian Research
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Early action to address an emerging wildlife disease

A deadly fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) that affects amphibian skin was discovered during a die-off of European fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) in 2014. This pathogen has the potential to worsen already severe worldwide amphibian declines. Bsal is a close relative to another fungal disease known as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Many scientists consider Bd
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center

Salamander chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans) in the United States—Developing research, monitoring, and management strategies

The recently (2013) identified pathogenic chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), poses a severe threat to the distribution and abundance of salamanders within the United States and Europe. Development of a response strategy for the potential, and likely, invasion of Bsal into the United States is crucial to protect global salamander biodiversity. A formal working group, led by A
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Species occurrence data for the Nation—USGS Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation (BISON)

USGS Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation (BISON) is a unique, Web-based Federal mapping resource for species occurrence data in the United States and its Territories. BISON’s size is unprecedented, including records for most living species found in the United States and encompassing the efforts of more than a million professional and citizen scientists. Most of BISON’s species occurrence r
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Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS) Program

Why bother about wildlife disease?

In most developed countries, the maintenance of the numbers of wildlife1 is vested in the natural resource agencies of those countries. During earlier times, game species were the primary focus of natural resource agencies2,3 however, current wildlife conservation continues to transition towards a more holistic focus on biodiversity4 and environmental health5,6. Nevertheless, that transition lags
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Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Species data: National inventory of range maps and distribution models

The Gap Analysis Project (GAP) produces data and tools that help meet critical national challenges such as biodiversity conservation, renewable energy development, climate change adaptation, and infrastructure investment. The GAP species data includes vertebrate range maps and distribution models for the continental United States, as well as Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Th
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Core Science Systems Mission Area, Gap Analysis Project, Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS) Program

The state of amphibians in the United States

More than 25 years ago, scientists began to identify unexplained declines in amphibian populations around the world. Much has been learned since then, but amphibian declines have not abated and the interactions among the various threats to amphibians are not clear. Amphibian decline is a problem of local, national, and international scope that can affect ecosystem function, biodiversity, and comme
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Amphibian malformations

Frog malformations have been reported from 42 states. The broad geographic distribution of these malformations warrants national attention. Scientists at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin are studying this problem in an effort to document its scope and to determine the causes of the observed malformations.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Disease emergence and resurgence—the wildlife-human connection

In 2000, the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) was organized as a global disease watchdog group to coordinate disease outbreak information and health crisis response. The World Health Organization (WHO) is the headquarters for this network. Understandably, the primary focus for WHO is human health. However, diseases such as the H5N1 avian influenza epizootic in Asian bird populati
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Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI): A successful start to a national program in the United States

Most research to assess amphibian declines has focused on local-scale projects on one or a few species. The Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) is a national program in the United States mandated by congressional directive and implemented by the U.S. Department of the Interior (specifically the U.S. Geological Survey, USGS). Program goals are to monitor changes in populations of am
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Earth Resources Observation and Science Center, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Fort Collins Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Parasite (Ribeiroia ondatrae) infection linked to amphibian malformations in the western United States

Parasites and pathogens can influence the survivorship, behavior, and very structure of their host species. For example, experimental studies have shown that trematode parasites can cause high frequencies of severe limb malformations in amphibians. In a broad-scale field survey covering parts of California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana, we examined relationships between the frequency and
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program, Kansas Water Science Center

The North American Reporting Center for Amphibian Malformations

No abstract available.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Field guide to malformations of frogs and toads: with radiographic interpretations

In 1995, students found numerous malformed frogs on a field trip to a Minnesota pond. Since that time, reports of malformed frogs have increased dramatically. Malformed frogs have now been reported in 44 states in 38 species of frogs, and 19 species of toads. Estimates as high as 60% of the newly metamorphosed frog populations have had malformations at some ponds (NARCAM, ’99). The wide geographic
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Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center
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Saving Salamanders: Vital to Ecosystem Health

Amphibians—the big-eyed, swimming-crawling-jumping-climbing group of water and land animals that includes frogs, toads, salamanders and worm-like...

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Newt News: Deadly Fish Disease Discovered in Salamanders

  

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New Research Confirms Continued, Unabated and Large-Scale Amphibian Declines: Local Action Key to Reversing Losses

New U.S. Geological Survey-led research suggests that even though amphibians are severely declining worldwide, there is no smoking gun – and thus no...

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Deadly Amphibian Fungus Abroad Threatens Certain U.S. Regions

The areas of the United States that are most at risk of a potentially invasive salamander fungus are the Pacific coast, the southern Appalachian...
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Invasive Amphibian Fungus Could Threaten US Salamander Populations

A deadly fungus causing population crashes in wild European salamanders could emerge in the United States and threaten already declining amphibians...

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