Chytrid Fungus and Adults

The life cycle of the rana muscosa species is from one to three years as a tadpole, then up to two years as a sub-adult or juvenile. After that they live up to two or three more years as adults. Once a sub-adult is a reproductive adult it takes a longer period, up to fifty days, for the Chytrid Fungus to kill the frog. This may be worse for the frogs because it gives the tadpoles, younger juveniles, and other adults a better and longer chance of contracting the fungus. The adults can also get the fungus through zoospores and contact with infected frogs. There are not as many infected adult frogs as there are tadpoles because adult frogs don't spend so much time in the water. The deaths of adult frogs are very impotrant, though, because without adult frogs, nothing would be giving birth to the tadpoles.