To Saving The Earth’s Frog and Taking Action

What Can YOU Do To Help? Donate $5 and we will send you a Golden Frog Cup with your Order

KoozieZ.com has teamed up with the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC).

Our hope is to help EVACC raise awareness of the increasingly rapid extinction of frogs. This rapid increase of extinction is the cause of a disease known as chytrid fungus and it has already infected approximately 6,000 amphibian species worldwide.

What is Chytrid Fungus

Chytrid Fungus infects the outer skin layers that contain the largest amount of protein known as Keratin. Keratin makes the outside layer of the skin tough and resistant to injury.

Chytrid Fungus  changes the skin to make very thick and are deadly to amphibian . When a frog drinks water it asborbs important salts like sodium and potassium through the skin, the fungus   will damage the skin. The frog’s skin is what they use to breathe just like lung-less salamanders. The infection suffocates the frog until the heart stops.

Why Frogs are important to the Environment

Baby and Mommy Golden Frog

• They are an integral part of the food web- Tadpoles keep waterways clean by feeding on algae. Adult frogs eat large quantities of insects, including disease vectors that can transmit fatal illnesses.

• Frogs are Bioindicators- Frogs have permeable skin that can easily absorb toxic chemicals. They are used as indicators of environmental stress and the health of them is thought to be indicative of the health of the biosphere as a whole.

• Frogs are important in Medical Research- The skin secretions of frogs potentially improve human health through their use in pharmaceuticals.

What You Can Do To Help

Scientist are currently working hard to find a cure of the this infectious disease by studying the few amphibian species that are resistant to the fungus and are maintaining a controlled environment where the species facing extinctions have a chance to reproduce.

These type of studies are being done at EVACC a conservation center located in El Valle Panama. This conservation center is funded by the  Houston Zoo.

To donate $5.00 to the EVACC Foundation  give us a call or email me at ana@kooziez.com To show our appreciation we will add in a Save the Golden Frog cup with your order.

Picture showing how Chytrid Effects the Frogs Skin