# "Weed Killer Deforms Frogs in Sex Organs!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 17, 2002, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131 "2002-04-17T14:02:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/1 "2002-04-17T14:02:44Z")
This, according to a New York Times headline today (page A19). Yikes! If you’ve got frogs in your sex organs, I’d say weeds are the LAST thing you should be worrying about! —Miss Copy Editor ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/2 "2002-04-17T14:10:34Z")
Well, thank God something finally works. I’ve tried everything…creams, lotions, peanut butter…nothing would touch the little buggers. This will bring a lot of hope to a lot of miserable people. A better cure would be killing those frogs, but any progress toward eliminating this scourge is welcomed. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/3 "2002-04-17T14:11:39Z")
“Mom, do you ever feel, you know, not so fresh? You know, like your sex organs are full of amphibians??” ---
**Author:** ![Skelji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Skelji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skelji)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/4 "2002-04-17T14:41:30Z")
According to the National Science Foundation [article](http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/02/pr0226.htm), in reference to leopard frogs, “The males have ovaries in their testes…It is unclear whether these abnormalities lead to reduced fertility.” Let’s see…male frogs have ovaries, yet it’s unclear if this leads to infertility??? OK. Before we laugh too much, keep in mind that the chemical in question - atrazine - is showing up in public water supplies in many Midwest communities. Its presence in lakes and streams is causing reproductive problems in frogs and other amphibians, though it’s not expected to have quite the same impact on humans (unless they plan on spending their lives in a pond). Still, I wouldn’t want to drink weedkiller. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/5 "2002-04-17T14:48:44Z")
The Times article also adds that the frogs develop multiple sex organs and sometimes become hermaphrodites. Actual quote, from Tyrone B. Hayes of the Univ. of Calif.: “I’m not saying it’s safe for humans. I’m not saying it’s unsafe for humans. All I’m saying is that it makes hermaphrodites of frogs.” I might add that not only have the frogs in MY sex organs not been complaining, they’ve been lining up to GET some o’ that weed killer! ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/6 "2002-04-17T14:54:47Z")
Man, the panic people get into over pesticides. I mean, I work with this type of stuff every day. And I have been for over seven years now. The stuff is harmless to humans. I’m pleased to say I’ve suffered no ill effects whatsoever, and 2ksao sd8ah b;x8ahss ssow8h (\*^isahn aoren98Y wn#&(@n snbf. So put that your pipe and smoke it, you worry-warts! ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/7 "2002-04-17T15:02:03Z")
Ah, Dave, YOU may be perfectly all right: but when’s the last time you’ve checked on the health of those frogs in your sex organs? ---
**Author:** ![CRorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CRorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CRorex)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/8 "2002-04-17T15:09:24Z")
Sigh Ok, at least 10 years ago it was proposed that we use frog mutations as an indicater for envriomental polution. The problem is that it seems frogs mutate at the drop of a damn hat. As for the frogs having both female and male sex organs… well I know that some species of amphibian have really bizzare sexual characteristics. And I don’t remember anyone in the article saying that they had a change in fertility. On the issue of Atrazine… Mutations are generated two ways… Either specific damage to genomical DNA or by interrupting or hijacking DNA repair mechanisms. I haven’t found any information on atrazine doing either. Keep in mind however each species of critter has different biochemistry, and what may be a harmless compound to most species can be fatal in others. I haven’t found any evidence that atrazine is dangerous to humans. Judging from toxicity studies its less dangerous than salt. LD50 for an average weight human of .75 lbs vs .5 lbs of table salt. If someone has time, maybe they could look up the baseline mutation rate for frogs… My guess is that frogs will have a naturally higher mutation rate, maybe due to defeciencies in their DNA MMR mechanisms… But my timer is going off and I need to do science that helps people directly 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![self-taut\_artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@self-taut\_artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/self-taut_artist)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/9 "2002-04-17T15:21:29Z")
"maybe due to defeciencies in their DNA MMR mechanisms… " Time to have my DNA MMR mechanisms defecied. ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/10 "2002-04-17T15:24:04Z")
I for one wouldn’t mind having one of those cute little blue tree frogs in my sex organs. They are already poisonous, so what’s a little weed killer? ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/11 "2002-04-17T15:30:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*Ah, Dave, YOU may be perfectly all right: but when’s the last time you’ve checked on the health of those frogs in your sex organs? \*\* The frogs in my sex organs are just fine, thenkewveddymuch. At any rate, they’re still hoppin’. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/12 "2002-04-17T15:33:45Z")
To avoid the risk of having yet ANOTHER light-hearted, harmless thread hijacked and turned into a violent socio-political attack: • This thread is NOT about environmentalism or animal rights. • This thread IS about silly copy-editing mistakes, and the ramifications of having frogs—deformed or otherwise—lurking in one’s sex organs. Now, go play like nice cheeeldren. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/13 "2002-04-17T15:42:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FairyChatMom \* > \*\*“Mom, do you ever feel, you know, not so fresh? You know, like your sex organs are full of amphibians??” \*\* I am **so** glad I wasn’t drinking anything when I read that!! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/14 "2002-04-17T16:20:40Z")
> [@](#): > > To avoid the risk of having yet ANOTHER light-hearted, harmless thread hijacked and turned into a violent socio-political attack: > > • This thread is NOT about environmentalism or animal rights. > > • This thread IS about silly copy-editing mistakes, and the ramifications of having frogs—deformed or otherwise—lurking in one’s sex organs. > > Now, go play like nice cheeeldren. Eve, I have to disagree. I think the real issue is what effect this will have on amphibian family values. How can genital inhabiting hermaphrodite frogs be expected to be stable role models for impressionable young tadpoles? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/15 "2002-04-17T17:04:35Z")
More importantly, what happens when hermaphrodite frogs are angrily banned from the sex organs of social conservatives who dont want any of those immoral, sexually ambiguous frogs living in them? ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/16 "2002-04-17T18:01:53Z")
“You got your sex organs in my frogs!!!” “You got your frogs in my sex organs!!!” IT’S DELICIOUS! ---
**Author:** ![Toaster52](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/50afbb/32.png) [@Toaster52](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toaster52)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/17 "2002-04-17T18:08:43Z")
Gives a whole new meaning to “Go F\*\*K yourself.” Awww, come on…somebody had to say it… ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/18 "2002-04-17T18:20:59Z")
Go **fuck** yourself? Go **FROG** yourself! ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/19 "2002-04-17T18:30:28Z")
Oh, good lord—you don’t suppse they mean deformed FRENCH PEOPLE?! ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131/20 "2002-04-17T18:46:15Z")
We can only wait to see if anyone’s sex organs start really appreciating Jerry Lewis movies. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weed-killer-deforms-frogs-in-sex-organs/104131.md?page=2)