Deformed Frogs in Minnesota

In the past few years, citizens of Minnesota have discovered deformed frogs scattered throughout the state. There are many speculations as to how the frogs got such deformities. Some scientists believe that its something in the waters of the Minnesota wetlands, other factors could be parasites or ultraviolet radiation. Minnesota is not the only location in the world that has reported deformed animal sightings, but almost three-quarters of the deformed frogs were reported in Minnesota. This is not necessarily because Minnesota contains the most deformed frogs, because scientists are unsure if that is true. Residents of Minnesota are most aware to the problem, so they are basically looking out for the frogs. Deformed frogs are most commonly missing limbs, have extra limbs, or have some bent limbs. Also, there are internal deformities that one would not be able to tell just from looking at the frog. These include digestive and urinary problems, and a slow ability to eat, avoid predators, and move. Because of this most frogs do not survive the winter, and if they do, deformed frogs do not advance on to a second year of living. Deformities do not occur in all frogs, the most common frogs with these malfunctions include the wood frog, American toad, and the northern leopard frog. Since deformed frogs have been found in ponds and both the urban and rural parts of Minnesota, scientists have concluded that well water can produce such malfunctions. Several tests have been preformed on the water that Minnesota residents are drinking and nothing has been found. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences have been performing tests to help solve the problem of deformed frogs in Minnesota. The article lists all of the procedures in which scientists have been completing to figure out what causes deformities in different species of frogs all over Minnesota. The NIEHS has concluded that there are only two wetlands throughout