23 documents found, page 1 of 3

Relationship between two pathogens in an amphibian community that experienced m...

Because host species tend to harbor multiple parasitic species, coinfection in a host is com-mon. The chytrid fungusBatrachochytrium dendrobatidis(Bd) and the viruses in the genusRanavirus(Rv) are responsible for the decline of amphibians worldwide. Despite widegeographical co-occurrence and the serious conservation problem that coinfection withthese pathogens could represent, little is known about their possib...

Standard methods for marking caudate amphibians do not impair animal welfare ov...

Major advancements in ecology and biodiversity conservation have been made thanks to methods for marking and individually tracking animals. Marking animals is both widely used and controversial due to the potential consequences for animal welfare, which are often incompletely evaluated prior to implementation. Two outstanding knowledge gaps concerning the welfare consequences of individual marking are their sho...

Non-Lethal Detection of Ranavirus in Fish

Cave-Dwelling Populations of the Monstrous Rainfrog (Craugastor pelorus) from M...

Amphibians are known cave dwellers, and a few anurans have shown to make exploratory or opportunistic use of subterranean environments. We report on the use of karst ecosystems and cavernicolous environments by the monstrous rainfrog Craugastor pelorus in Chiapas and Tabasco (Mexico). Individuals were found in crevices and wall depressions within the twilight zone of the cave, both during the day and at night. ...

Spatial Ecology of an Arboreal Iguana (Oplurus cyclurus) in a Treeless Landscape

Understanding the spatial ecology of species has important implications for conservation, as it helps identify suitable habitats and minimum requirements for biodiversity monitoring and management. The spiny-tailed lizard Oplurus cyclurus is a widespread endemic iguanid occurring in dry areas of southern and western Madagascar. While the species is known to be mostly arboreal, populations of the Isalo sandstone...

Another step through the crux: a new microendemic rock-dwelling Paroedura (Squ...

Using an integrative taxonomic approach including genetic and morphological data, we formally describe a new microendemic gecko species belonging to the Paroedura bastardi clade, previously referred to as P. bastardi D. We name this taxon currently known from Anja Reserve and Tsaranoro Valley Forest (south-central Madagascar), as P. manongavato sp. nov. The new species differs from other species of the P. basta...

An integrative taxonomic revision and redefinition of Gephyromantis (Laurentoma...

The subgenus Laurentomantis in the genus Gephyromantis contains some of the least known amphibian species of Madagascar. The six currently valid nominal species are rainforest frogs known from few individuals, hampering a full understanding of the species diversity of the clade. We assembled data on specimens collected during field surveys over the past 30 years and integrated analysis of mitochondrial and nucl...

Climate warming triggers the emergence of native viruses in Iberian amphibians

The number of epizootics in amphibian populations caused by viruses of the genus Ranavirus is increasing worldwide. Yet, causes for pathogen emergence are poorly understood. Here, we confirmed that the Common midwife toad virus (CMTV) and Frog virus 3 (FV3) are responsible for mass mortalities in Iberia since the late 1980s. Our results illustrate the Iberian Peninsula as a diversity hotspot for the highly viru...

Invasive fish disrupt host-pathogen dynamics leading to amphibian declines

Sudden disease outbreaks may not necessarily reflect a recent pathogen introduction but may instead arise from the disruption of a host-pathogen equilibrium. Together with invasive species, emerging pathogens pose significant threats to biodiversity. The dynamics of each stressor have been studied separately, yet rarely when interacting. Using a 40-year dataset, we tested the hypothesis that the introduction of...

Seasonality of host immunity in a tropical disease system

Infectious disease systems frequently exhibit strong seasonal patterns, yet themechanisms that underpin intra-annual cycles are unclear, particularly intropical regions. We hypothesized that host immune function fluctuates sea-sonally, contributing to oscillations in infection patterns in a tropical diseasesystem. To test this hypothesis, we investigated a key host defense of amphib-ians against a lethal fungal...