India: Surprising discovery of fungus on frog’s skin

Scientists have India At the foothills of the lush green mountains of the Western Ghats, such an amazing Frog has discovered, one of which is smaller than the leg Mushrooms is breaking out.

Researchers from the World Wildlife Fund say the discovery is the first time a fungus has been seen growing on the tissues of a living animal.

The frog could not be captured for further study, but photos shared online of the aquatic and terrestrial creature, showing a mushroom growing near its hind leg, have sparked a new debate among scientists. has given

This species of frog, named Rao’s intermediate golden-backed frog (Hylarana intermedia), is the world’s

It is found in the region where the highest biodiversity is seen.

Fungiologists have identified this mushroom as a bonnet mushroom, which is mostly found on rotting wood.

Many microbes, including bacteria and fungi, thrive alongside living organisms, most of which can be symbiotic (depend on each other for mutual benefit) or at least harmful parasites.

However, there are certain microbes that can cause infections in certain situations, including athlete’s foot, yeast infections or an oral yeast infection called candidiasis.

However, according to research published in the journal Reptiles and Amphibians, there has never been documented evidence of a mushroom growing on a living organism.

The researchers said: ‘To the best of our knowledge, mushrooms growing from the body of a living frog have never been documented before.’

This may be because mushrooms require nutrients that are not normally adequately present on an animal’s skin.

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Researchers suspect that the humid, monsoon-irrigated Western Ghats in recent times may have provided an ideal environment for mushroom growth, with adequate moisture and organic matter.

The exact nature of the mushroom growing on the frog is still unclear and it is not known how deep it penetrated the skin.

This may be of concern because frogs and hundreds of other terrestrial and aquatic animals worldwide are already threatened by another parasitic fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, commonly known as the chytrid fungus.

Chytrid fungus infections have led to a steady decline in terrestrial and aquatic animal populations worldwide because they disrupt the water and salt balance in the skin of these species and ultimately lead to heart failure. .

However, recent studies have shown that this killer fungus is present at low levels in frog hotspots across India.