Officials briefed the media Wednesday at the refuge about what the MPCA and other agencies are doing this summer on the frog front in wetlands throughout the state. A frog survey was part of the briefing, and that's when the little leopard frog was caught. Two other frogs with abnormal features also were found. The cause of the frog deformities remains a mystery. Theories abound, depending on which part of the country you live in.
Some eastern scientists believe genetics is playing a role.
In the western United States, some say a parasite is at work. But no one knows for sure. Scientists do know, however, that frogs serve as an environmental barometer. That's why MPCA has teamed up with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the U.S. Geological Service's Biological Resources Division and National Wildlife Health Center lab in Madison, Wis., to find out more about frogs and wetlands. Conduct diagnostic gene tests.