36
from the complaint. I later had other verbal
reports of the disease from the same area.
Red leg is a highly fatal, haemorrhagic septi-
caemia caused by the bacterium Proteus hydro-
philus, which in turn is thought to be carried
by the snake mite, or possibly a blood sucking
leech. The symptoms are reddening of the hind
legs and anus, together with swelling of these
regions. Death usually occurs within a few
days. Some of the ponds where diseased frogs
were seen were cool and shady and these
conditions may have favoured the spread of the
host carrier of the disease. Some ponds
eventually lost all their frogs with this
problem, but hopefully the frogs which left the
water earlier in the year may have avoided the
disease.
I would be interested to hear of any other
outbreaks of red leg. Also I would like
records of British amphibians and reptiles
during 1987 and would be pleased to hear from
Members concerning their observations. May I
thank those who usually send me records and
correspondence on a regular basis.
D. R. SCOTT