The golden frog is a small, bright-yellow amphibian that lives in and around mountain streams in Panama. The species is severely endangered because of a fungus that infects the frog through its skin and inhibits the frog's critical life functions, such as breathing. Conservationists have proposed a few solutions to the golden frog's fungus problem.

Bacterial Protection

First, scientists have identified a natural enemy of the fungus: a type of bacterium. This bacterium produces a chemical that kills fungal cells. Scientists think that they may be able to introduce colonies of this bacterium to the skin of golden frogs. The bacterial colonies would then protect the frogs against the fungus infection.

Breeding Frogs in Captivity

Second, researchers are considering the possibility of breeding golden frogs in captivity and then releasing them in the wild to replenish wild populations. The golden frog can develop disease-free in captivity, where it is isolated from the fungus. When golden frogs bred in captivity are released in habitats where wild golden frogs have died out, the frogs bred in captivity will give rise to a healthy, fungus-free population.

A Natural Defense

Third, it is possible that golden frogs will overcome the threat posed by the fungus without human intervention. Some golden frogs have what seems to be a natural defense against the fungus. When infected, they increase their body temperature, which slows down the growth of the fungus. If this ability to resist the fungal infection spreads among the golden frog population as a whole, the frog population is likely to overcome the crisis and start increasing again.