Chytridiomycosis in Wild Frogs from Southern Costa Rica

In 1993, the amphibian fauna of Las Tablas, Costa Rica, began to decline, and by 1998 approximately 50% of the species formerly present could no longer be found. Three years later, at the Reserva Forestal Fortuna, in western Panama, a site approximately 75 km east southeast of Las Tablas, KRL encoun...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of herpetology 2003-03, Vol.37 (1), p.215-218
Main Authors: Lips, Karen R, Green, D. Earl, Papendick, Rebecca
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amphibians
Animals
Conservation
CONTENTS
Depopulation
Die off
Frogs
Fungi
Infections
Parasites
Skin
Tablas
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Summary:In 1993, the amphibian fauna of Las Tablas, Costa Rica, began to decline, and by 1998 approximately 50% of the species formerly present could no longer be found. Three years later, at the Reserva Forestal Fortuna, in western Panama, a site approximately 75 km east southeast of Las Tablas, KRL encountered a mass die-off of amphibians and a subsequent decline in abundance and species richness. The epidemiological features of the anuran population declines and die-offs at both sites were similar, suggesting a similar cause. Herein we document the presence of the fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, in dead and dying wild frogs collected at Las Tablas just prior to population declines of several anuran species.
ISSN:0022-1511
1937-2418
DOI:10.1670/0022-1511(2003)037[0215:CIWFFS]2.0.CO;2