Meeting Abstract

7.4  Sunday, Jan. 4  Individual and population level effects of a pathogenic chytrid fungus on the terrestrial salamander Batrachoseps attenuatus. WEINSTEIN, S.B.; Univ. of California, Berkeley Batrachoseps@gmail.com

The pathogenic amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, infects populations of the fully terrestrial California Slender Salamander, Batrachoseps attenuatus. Histological analysis of museum specimens shows that this pathogen has been present in wild populations for at least 35 years, and while infected individuals collected in the wild exhibit 100% mortality when maintained in the laboratory, wild populations apparently remain stable. Infected salamanders frequently can be identified by such symptoms as caudal autotomy, excessive shedding, and dark spots on the ventral surface. Housing salamanders in a wet environment results in high mortality rates, while infected salamanders maintained in a relatively dry environment recover from infection. Histological examinations of both shed and sectioned skin from infected salamanders suggests that shedding, combined with dry environmental conditions, may represent a mechanism by which the salamanders can recover from chytridiomycosis. Although B. attenuatus remains widespread with dense local populations, other members of the family Plethodontidae are experiencing marked declines. An understanding of the relationship between the chytrid fungus and Batrachoseps may be applicable to patterns of declines and persistence in other species of plethodontid salamanders and amphibians in general.