Hybridization: In Ontario, there are two populations of western chorus frogs, those in the Carolinian Zone and those in the Great Lakes/ St. Lawrence Lowlands. Those in the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence population are considered federally threatened and have been found to have mitochondrial DNA more similar to that of the boreal chorus frog found further north. This suggests that the boreal chorus frog population was much further south and hybridizes with the western chorus frogs before retreating further north when temperatures changed. While the nuclear DNA of this population, the DNA used to determine species, is the same as the Carolinian population, some consider them to be boreal chorus frogs instead. In the United States, chorus frog species often hybridize where ranges overlap causing them to be considered a species complex.
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Virology: Western chorus frogs, along with other frog species are susceptible to Ranavirus which manifests as a red rash. Ranavirus is a highly contagious virus that can be transferred through touch and by being in contaminated water. The virus effects the host’s cells leading to necrosis, cell decay and eventual death. Ranavirus along with chytrid are responsible for the current global amphibian crises and the extinction of many frog species. It’s cases like this that emphasize the importance of decontaminating one’s equipment between ponds to try and control its otherwise rampant spread
Sources:
Bogart, James P., et al. "Clarification of Taxonomy Issues for Western Chorus Frog and the Species at Risk Act." Government of Canada, Nov. 2015, www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry/related-information/clarification-taxonomy-issues-western-chorus-frog.html. Accessed 4 Nov. 2021. "Ranavirus." Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, www.cwhc-rcsf.ca/docs/fact_sheets/Ranavirus_Fact_Sheet.pdf. Accessed 4 Nov. 2021. "Western Chorus Frog." Ontario Nature, 2021, ontarionature.org/programs/community-science/reptile-amphibian-atlas/western-chorus-frog/. Accessed 4 Nov. 2021. |