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- Title
Pathogen load and body condition correlate with conservation status of syntopic and closely related frogs.
- Authors
Ljubisavljević, Katarina; Martel, An; Pasmans, Frank; Vukov, Tanja D.
- Abstract
Mitigating global amphibian declines requires a thorough understanding of stressors that differentially impact amphibian populations. We compared body condition and occurrence of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in syntopic frogs, belonging either to the small range, vulnerable species Pelophylax shqipericus or the widespread P. ridibundus. Bd was detected more frequently in P. shqipericus than in P. ridibundus (15.6% and 2.9%, p < 0.05, respectively). Infections were characterized by low infection intensity, absence of clinical signs and lack of any obvious impact on body condition. However, body condition in P. shqipericus was significantly lower than in P. ridibundus. Relatively high pathogen prevalence and poor body condition in the threatened P. shqipericus is worrying and urges the need for close monitoring, risk analysis and population assessment.
- Subjects
MONTENEGRO; AMPHIBIAN declines; AMPHIBIAN populations; BATRACHOCHYTRIUM dendrobatidis; SYMPTOMS; AMPHIBIANS; PATHOGENIC microorganisms; FROGS
- Publication
Salamandra, 2022, Vol 58, Issue 3, p187
- ISSN
0036-3375
- Publication type
Article