Search results for "chytridiomycosis"
showing 5 items of 5 documents
Captivity and infection by the fungal pathogen batrachochytrium salamandrivorans perturb the amphibian skin microbiome
2019
The emerging fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) is responsible for the catastrophic decline of European salamanders and poses a threat to amphibians globally. The amphibian skin microbiome can influence disease outcome for several host-pathogen systems, yet little is known of its role in Bsal infection. In addition, many experimental in-vivo amphibian disease studies to date have relied on specimens that have been kept in captivity for long periods without considering the influence of environment on the microbiome and how this may impact the host response to pathogen exposure. We characterized the impact of captivity and exposure to Bsal on the skin bacterial and fung…
Experimental evidence for a cost of resistance to the fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, for the palmate newt, Lissotriton helveticus
2013
Background Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), the causative agent of chytridiomycosis, is decimating amphibians worldwide. Unsurprisingly, the majority of studies have therefore concentrated on documenting morbidity and mortality of susceptible species and projecting population consequences as a consequence of this emerging infectious disease. Currently, there is a paucity of studies investigating the sub-lethal costs of Bd in apparently asymptomatic species, particularly in controlled experimental conditions. Here we report the consequences of a single dose of B. dendrobatidis zoospores on captive adult palmate newts (Lissotriton helveticus) for morphological and behavioural traits that …
Conservation priorities for harlequin frogs (Atelopus spp.) of Peru
2005
Populations of harlequin frogs Atelopus are declining throughout their geographical range. In Peru six of the 11 nominally described species are Critically Endangered, and there are at least 17 undescribed additional forms (all representing apparently distinct species), the conservation status of which is unknown. Most Atelopus taxa in Peru have relatively small geographical ranges, some known only from single populations, and have only a limited chance of survival. Conservation will require: (1) improvement of the faunistic and taxonomic knowledge of the genus, (2) field surveys, including in remote areas, (3) assessment of all species and populations for chytridiomycosis and research on t…
Amphibian survival compromised by long-term effects of chytrid fungus
2022
AbstractChytridiomycosis, the disease caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been unambiguously implicated in the decline of amphibian populations worldwide. However, the impact of this devastating infectious disease can be difficult to gauge without empirical data on the population-level effects of Bd. Often, assessments of the amphibian chytridiomycosis panzootic are based primarily on expert opinions; as a result, declines in tropical areas are promptly attributed to Bd while its impact on temperate species not suffering from adult mass mortalities is frequently overlooked. Here, we investigated the survival probability in an amphibian species from a tempe…
The stream-dwelling larva of the Ruwenzori River Frog, Amietia ruwenzorica, its buccal cavity and pathology of chytridiomycosis
2012
Tadpoles of Amietia ruwenzorica (Pyxicephalidae, Cacosterninae) were collected in the Ruwenzori Mountains, Uganda(identified by DNA barcoding). The ventrally directed enlarged oral disc with a high number of labial tooth rows (LTRF9(4)/9(1)) and the narrow tail with robust caudal musculature characterise them as stream-dwellers. We name this mor-photype the 'common or standard type of stream-adaptation', because special additional adhesive organs are missing in A.ruwenzorica. The uniserially arranged oral teeth of the spoon-shaped type with 16 to 18 cusps per tooth are known fromother anuran larvae, especially from pyxicephalids. The buccal morphology resembles generalized tadpoles with som…