Why is the mountain chicken frog endangered in Dominica?

The mountain chicken frog (Leptodactylus fallax), a species native to Dominica, has become highly endangered primarily due to a fungal disease known as amphibian chytridiomycosis.1

This disease is caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which is considered a global threat to amphibian biodiversity. The fungus spreads through free-swimming zoospores that infect the skin of the frog, disrupting its ability to maintain electrolyte balance and perform gas exchange. In highly pathogenic cases, this infection leads to cardiac arrest and death. While the mountain chicken was once an emblematic part of Dominica’s fauna and a traditional national dish, the rapid spread of this invasive species has decimated its population.21