Why frogs croak

The Anniston Star ^ | 01-15-2006

[presidio9]

It appears global warming is not for the thin-skinned — and that’s bad news for amphibians. Frogs, toads, newts and the like have permeable skins, which makes them especially sensitive to environmental change. It also makes them good species to monitor to get an idea of the health of our planet.

In 2004, researchers conducting a global assessment concluded that almost a third of the world’s known amphibian species were threatened with extinction. Now, a new study suggests that global warming may be to blame for amphibians’ precarious state.

The study, published last week in the scientific journal Nature, found that a fungal disease is killing off tropical frogs in Latin America. Scientists believe large-scale warming is accelerating cloud formation in certain areas, causing nighttime temperatures to rise and daytime temperatures to fall — conditions that enable the frog-killing fungus to thrive.

To stop these excess clouds from gathering over tropical habitats, we’ll need to eliminate the fog of disinformation from current global warming debates.

[freeandfreezing]

Assuming that the hypothesis of the author is remotely close to correct (and I doubt it is) local climactic changes could be the cause instead of global climactic changes. See for example: NASA DATA SHOWS DEFORESTATION AFFECTS CLIMATE IN THE AMAZON

But just starting off assuming that a 1 or 2 degree shift in average temperature would cause the observed increase in amphibian fungal infections is kind of silly. Just moving a few miles away from a body of water, or increasing elevation can change the local climate average temperatures by a few degrees. So if temperature was the cause the amphibian fungal infections would track with the local microclimate, right? And that microclimate has been around for a long, long time -- like since the lake was formed, or the hills were pushed up by geological phenomena.

[Allegra]

I agree. That was just my way of saying I simply don't buy into all this global warming B.S.

I might raise the temperature a degree or two if I were to build a bonfire of all the unsold copies of Earth in the Balance, however.

[dalereed]

"What's the explanation then?"

They are prehistoric and should have died out years ago.

Only the french will miss them!

[capt. norm]

Global warming is becoming the scapegoat for anything and everything that can't otherwise be explained.

How convenient!

[sergeantdave]

Plants Bad for the Environment? Celebrities Causing Frogs to Croak?
Thursday, January 12, 2006

By Steven Milloy

Could it be that celebrities are planting the forests that are causing the global warming that is growing the bacteria that are wiping out the frogs?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,181513,00.html

[montag813]

Some frogs will survive, some will die. New species will emerge who adapt to the new environment (if there is indeed a new one). Why do enviro-wackos who claim to believe in evolution have so little faith in it?

[solitas]

Why frogs croak

Okay - I'll be the first to say it: "because they don't know the words?"

[carlr]

Scientists believe large-scale warming is accelerating cloud formation in certain areas, causing nighttime temperatures to rise and daytime temperatures to fall

Can somebody explain how this theory would work.

If cloud cover were trapping daytime heat rather than releasing it to the atmosphere how does that make the daytime temps cooler.

I thought that was the whole principle behind global warming,the compounding effect of trapping heat at the Earths surface and lower atmosphere.

[Hot Tabasco]

Why frogs croak

Oops, I thought this thread was about the death rate in France.......

[ops33]

On the old Hollywood Squares show Paul Lynne was asked "Do female frogs croak?" His answer; "Only when you hold their little heads under the water."

[TheBattman]

By a quick scan of the title, I thought the article was about the French....

what a disapointment..

[the final gentleman]

________________________________________________________

Wow, the first three sentences of this article are complete conjecture. And the next paragraph doesn't give even attempt to support the arguments made in the first.
Is the person who wrote this in the 6th grade?
________________________________________________________

Uh, Lurker, think a bit.

(1) Wee frogs were long said to bellwether Global Warming.
(2) Now junk science says that wee-er creatures gather in great clouds over forests and are killing the wee frogs so now heat-loving fungi have become the bellwethers of Global Warning.
(3) Last week great plumes of methane were found rising over tropical vegetation, accounting for 20% of the methane
that science had previously attributed to vague sources.

Now go read the article "Why Frogs Croak".

Nice humor, huh?

[Carry_Okie]

So, what do you plan to do about the weather?

It's cold today, so I'm planting buckeyes.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[presidio9]

True story:

My mom almost became a nun. She literally gets tears in her eyes when any of her children use the word "hate" in reference to another human being at the dinner table. Last night I had dinner with her, and we were talking about the role of the Alito nomination in Bush's legacy. I pointed out that RBG has colon cancer, and mom said "well, hopefully she'll die in the next three years, and President Bush can add one more appointment.

[presidio9]

Well, a couple of years ago, elderly Frogs croaked because it was really hot and their families went on vacation without them.

[null and void]

Is THAT why amphibians are one of the oldest groups of land animals on the evolutionary ladder? Gosh, who knew?

yeah.

[Chanticleer]

For a whole month... in August!

[RightWingAtheist]

Ping

[presidio9]

Not suprisingly, liberals blamed that on "global warming" too.