Deadly Frog Fungus Invades Madagascar

"If we are talking about impacts in terms of biodiversity, the loss in Madagascar would be much higher [than previous loses]," researcher Gonçalo Rosa, from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, recently told The Guardian.

Still, Madagascar's unique amphibian megaverse may be a blessing in disguise. There is a small chance that the Bd variant found there is not particularly deadly, or the unique genetics of the region include a resistance to the fungus - which normally hardens amphibian skin and even dehydrates them.

Or, as Rosa's colleagues fear, the disease simply is being seen in its earliest stages, with the worst yet to come.

Still, there's certainly no time for panic. Researchers are even now working to better understand how Bd works and why it is so wildly killing off nature's amphibians. They hope to be able to identify what species are most likely to survive a pandemic, helping conservationists prepare even if humanity does not intervene.

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