Hot Weather Makes Pesticides More Dangerous for Amazon Frogs

Amazon frogs are in trouble. Pesticides and climate change are teaming up to make life harder for them. Scientists wanted to see how these two problems affect frog tadpoles. They looked at two types of frogs: Osteocephalus taurinus and Scinax ruber. They tested how these tadpoles handle a pesticide called methomyl at two different temperatures: 26. 5°C and 30°C. The higher temperature is what scientists expect in the future due to climate change.The results were surprising. For Osteocephalus taurinus, the pesticide became more toxic at the higher temperature. It took less pesticide to harm them. But for Scinax ruber, the pesticide's effect stayed the same. This shows that different frogs react differently to the same problems. The scientists also checked how hot the tadpoles could handle before getting into trouble. The pesticide didn't change their heat tolerance, but it did make things more unpredictable for Osteocephalus taurinus. This study shows that we need to think about how climate change and pesticides work together. It's not just about one problem at a time. We need to consider how these issues affect different species in their own habitats. This way, we can better protect our wildlife.