Though endemic to the lush Central American country, no Panamanian golden frog can be seen in its natural habitat, threatened as it is by a so-called "superfungus" that has decimated amphibians in the wild. Believed extinct in the wild, only about 1,500 of the tiny Panamanian golden frogs are found in zoos where they can reproduce. But it is not only frogs that are vulnerable to the fungus. The pathogen is responsible for chytridiomycosis, an infectious disease that scientists say has already caused the disappearance of some 30 species. "It's a superfungus that can even affect other species that are not amphibians," according to Ibanez.

Source: Dhaka Tribune September 13, 2020 06:45 UTC