Young coqui frogs 'play it safe' when disease strikes, study finds

For a frog no bigger than a fingernail, survival depends on how it spends every bit of energy. New research from the University of Florida shows that young frogs prioritize growing quickly even when infected with a deadly pathogen, shifting energy toward immune defense only when infections become severe. The findings, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, reveal how early life decisions about energy use shape survival, development and population health.