Legless frogs mystery solved

Summary

June 25, 2009: Around the world, many frogs with missing or deformed limbs have been found, which was initially believed to have been caused by chemical pollution, which was perceived as a major environmental issue. However, it had been discovered that the additional limbs were caused by parasitic flatworms, while the missing limbs were caused by dragonfly larvae eating the soft limbs of tadpoles.

Source

Bibliography

1. Original article

Game and Story Use

• Bah! Frogs with their legs missing? It's the French I tell you!
• Large numbers of animals appearing with additional, missing, or deformed limbs will be taken as an ill omen by most superstitious population, regardless of the actual cause. Use this if you want to establish the mood - or if you want to create a tense atmosphere where accusations of witchcraft are common and any stranger is believed to be the harbinger of some doom.
  • Or maybe such signs are the result of witchcraft or other "dark magic" - though it's more likely to be a side effect rather than something deliberate.
    • Then again, maybe frog's legs are a useful component in magic…