Skeletal malformation rates for several frog species were determined in a set of randomly selected wetlands in the north-central USA over three consecutive years. In 1998, 62 sites yielded 389 metamorphic frogs, nine (2.3%) of which had skeletal or eye malformations. A subset of the original sites was surveyed in the following 2 yr. In 1999, 1,085 metamorphic frogs were collected from 36 sites and 17 (1.6%) had skeletal or eye malformations, while in 2000, examination of 1,131 metamorphs yielded 16 (1.4%) with skeletal or eye malformations. Hindlimb malformations predominated in all three years, but other abnormalities, involving forelimb, eye, and pelvis were also found. Northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens) constituted the majority of collected metamorphs as well as most of the malformed specimens. However, malformations were also noted in mink frogs (R. septentrionalis), wood frogs (R. sylvatica), and gray tree frogs (Hyla spp.). The malformed specimens were found in clustered sites in all three years but the cluster locations were not the same in any year. The malformation rates reported here are higher than the 0.3% rate determined for metamorphic frogs collected from similar sites in Minnesota in the 1960s, and thus, appear to represent an elevation of an earlier baseline malformation rate.
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Epidemiology|
July 01 2003
PREVALENCE OF SKELETAL AND EYE MALFORMATIONS IN FROGS FROM NORTH-CENTRAL UNITED STATES: ESTIMATIONS BASED ON COLLECTIONS FROM RANDOMLY SELECTED SITES
Patrick K. Schoff;
Patrick K. Schoff
4
1 Center for Water and the Environment, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota—Duluth, 5013 Miller Trunk Hwy, Duluth, Minnesota 55811-1442, USA
4 Corresponding author (email: pschoff@nrri.umn.edu)
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Catherine M. Johnson;
Catherine M. Johnson
1 Center for Water and the Environment, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota—Duluth, 5013 Miller Trunk Hwy, Duluth, Minnesota 55811-1442, USA
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Anna M. Schotthoefer;
Anna M. Schotthoefer
2 Departments of Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 2001 South Lincoln Ave., Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA
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Joseph E. Murphy;
Joseph E. Murphy
2 Departments of Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 2001 South Lincoln Ave., Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA
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Camilla Lieske;
Camilla Lieske
2 Departments of Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 2001 South Lincoln Ave., Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA
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Rebecca A. Cole;
Rebecca A. Cole
3 U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Rd., Madison, Wisconsin 53711, USA
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Lucinda B. Johnson;
Lucinda B. Johnson
1 Center for Water and the Environment, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota—Duluth, 5013 Miller Trunk Hwy, Duluth, Minnesota 55811-1442, USA
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Val R. Beasley
Val R. Beasley
2 Departments of Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 2001 South Lincoln Ave., Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA
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J Wildl Dis (2003) 39 (3): 510–521.
Article history
Received:
March 14 2002
Citation
Patrick K. Schoff, Catherine M. Johnson, Anna M. Schotthoefer, Joseph E. Murphy, Camilla Lieske, Rebecca A. Cole, Lucinda B. Johnson, Val R. Beasley; PREVALENCE OF SKELETAL AND EYE MALFORMATIONS IN FROGS FROM NORTH-CENTRAL UNITED STATES: ESTIMATIONS BASED ON COLLECTIONS FROM RANDOMLY SELECTED SITES. J Wildl Dis 1 July 2003; 39 (3): 510–521. doi: https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-39.3.510
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