It is important to research the cause of these observations since amphibians serve as a connection between aquatic and terrestrial food webs, control insect populations, and are indicators of developmental toxicants that may impact humans. It can be applied from April through July and may enter water bodies when amphibians are breeding.
Most amphibians develop from eggs to free swimming larvae quickly.
The residence time of CPF in water is relatively short, so chances for exposure may come during the embryonic stages. Although embryos do have protection, provided by a jelly capsule, some chemicals may be able to pass through that barrier. This leads to debilitating problems such as susceptibility to predators and inability to acquire food. Results from this study can be compared with those on other species to determine any correlation. Results may also aid in determining if exposure to CPF is one of the causes of frog population declines and malformations.