30% Of Adult Toads Deformed In Bermuda's Nature Reserves

[hatrack]

"Large numbers of deformed toads have spawned from polluted ponds in Bermuda's Nature Reserves. Dr. Jamie Bacon, the principal investigator of the Bermuda Zoological Society's Bermuda Amphibian Project, told Hamilton Rotarians yesterday that Pitman's Pond, a dug pond that's going to be a Nature Reserve under the Buy-Back Bermuda campaign, had the highest number of abnormal toads since 2003.

"To me, it is rather disturbing that five out of the seven worst sites were dug ponds that are located in proposed or existing Nature Reserves because these are the areas in which nature is supposed to be protected," Dr. Bacon said. But she discovered that the Bermuda Audubon Society's Seymour Pond, as well as dug ponds in the Warwick Marsh, Long Bay and Spittal Pond Nature Reserves have all had very high percentages of deformed toads.

A lined pond on the third hole at Port Royal Golf Course and a flooded parking lot at Bermuda Mechanical Supply Co. Ltd. made the list of the seven "worst" ponds. "And what we found is the natural or dug ponds and canals, and the golf course ponds are statistically the worst sites for deformities and that the cement or lined ponds in private gardens are statistically the safest sites," she said.

Dr. Bacon researches the giant toad, commonly referred to as the cane or marine toad, to determine if other species, including humans, may be at risk. "Bermuda may be unique in the world in that so many adult toads, up to 30 percent of the ones we examine, are deformed," she said."

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http://www.theroyalgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050615/NEWS/106150100

[LiberalEsto]

1. Could this explain why freeps and religious nuts

are so mentally deformed? :evilgrin:

[USA1]

2. Defromity is Sign of Contaminants in Environment!

I have heard that frogs are susceptible to changes in their habitat. They show signs first in ecosystems. In other words they are easily changed/deformed if toxins or poison are introduced.

This is a bad sign! Their environment is contaminated!