Tag Archives: zion frog fungus

Looks like some local Dixie State canyoneer/biologists have found a great way to combine their passions for a good cause. The fungus sounds like bad news, but it sounds like Zion frogs might be up to the challenge? Stay tuned… Utah team to study Zion National Park frogs Published: Saturday, July 2, 2011 9:45 p.m. MDT Associated Press ST. GEORGE — A research team from southern Utah’s Dixie State College is studying the relationship between a fungus and frogs in Zion National Park. A four-student team and biology professor Curt Walker have climbed into the park’s slot canyons to examine the Zion’s Canyon Tree Frog. The team is checking to see if the small, brown creatures have contracted the Chytrid fungus, The Spectrum of St. George reported. So far, students have found no evidence of fungus-related frog deaths in Zion. “Zion is so isolated, we were hoping we wouldn’t find it here, but we’ve found it,” said Heather Jorgensen, a senior biology major, during a trip to the park for research Friday. Jorgensen, with fellow students Crystal Burtis, Alex Nelson and Jackie Mertin, hope their rock-scaling and time spent hunting tadpoles in murky water could produce data that could lead to … Continue reading →