Lake Titicaca 'Scrotum Frogs,' Already Rare, Dying at Alarming Rate

At least 10,000 endangered "scrotum frogs" have died between the Cacachi bridge to the mouth of Lake Titicaca in a short period of time, causing wildlife officials in Peru to investigate conditions there.

Pollution, including solid waste and sludge, was found within the 31-mile stretch, and environmental activists fear it caused the rare animals to die.

"They have no idea how major the pollution is. The situation is maddening," Committee Against the Pollution of the Coata River leader Maruja Inquila told the AFP, according to USA Today. Protesters presented 100 dead frogs to authorities to show the severity of the problem.

Peru’s National Forestry and Wildlife Service officials are investigating the frogs’ deaths with the help of Roberto Elias and Enrique Ramo of the Denver Zoo, hoping to determine the exact cause of death.

The animals get their unusual name from their loose skin, which helps their bodies absorb oxygen from the water, IFL Science said.

Frog populations have been decimated by overharvesting and previous high sulfide levels at lakes in next-door Bolivia in 2015. Other previous environmental conditions included a 2014 algae bloom that removed oxygen from the water, killing many frogs and fish.

When environmental conditions are damaged by pollution or natural conditions that become unfavorable, invasive populations can become another threat as the ecosystem becomes unbalanced. The combination of all of these conditions has caused the scrotum frog population to decline to near-extinction levels.

The animal also goes by the name Titicaca Water Frog. It is only found in the waters around Lake Titicaca, which straddles both Bolivia and Peru.

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