In a puzzling and unprecedented discovery, scientists have found a small fungus growing from the leg of a live frog on the lush slopes of the Western Ghats in India. Researchers from the World Wildlife Fund stated that this is the first-ever documented case of a fungus growing on the tissues of a living animal, according to the British newspaper "Independent."
The frog, known as the "intermediate golden-backed frog" (Hylarana intermedia), resides in one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world. According to mycologists, this fungus is a "bonnet fungus" (Mycena sp.), typically found on decaying wood. The researchers added that, to their knowledge, no fungus has been documented growing from the leg of a live frog, suggesting it may be due to the fungus's need for nutrients that are not sufficiently available on the skin of any animal.
Scientists suspect that the moist environment of the Western Ghats, nourished by monsoon rains, may have provided an ideal setting for the fungus to thrive, offering sufficient moisture and organic material. According to a study published in the Journal of Herpetology and Amphibians, the exact nature of the fungus growing on the frog remains unclear. This could be a cause for concern, as frogs and hundreds of other amphibian species worldwide are threatened by another parasitic fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.
Additionally, it has been noted that many microbes, including bacteria and fungi, grow alongside living organisms, with most being mutualistic or at least benign. However, some organisms can cause infections under certain conditions, such as yeast infections or oral candidiasis.
