When Understanding Matters More Than Elimination The Oriental fire-bellied toad (Bombina orientalis) did not become an important ecological lesson because it was dangerous. It became one because it reminded us that understanding can sometimes protect better than elimination. For a long time, these frogs coexisted with the chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, Bd). They often carried the pathogen without showing severe disease, likely reflecting a long history of coevolution. Throu...