Host-pathogen relationships between the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and tadpoles of five South American anuran species

ARELLANO M.L.; NATALE G.S; GRILLI P.G.; BARRASSO, D.; STECIOW M.; LAVILLA E.O.

HERPETOLOGICAL JOURNAL

BRITISH HERPETOL SOC

Lugar: Montrose, Angus, UK; Año: 2017 vol. 27 p. 33 - 39

0268-0130

The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is one of the most importantcontributors for the decline of amphibian populations worldwide. Evidence indicatesthat the harmfulness of Bd infection depends on the species and life stage, the fungusstrain, the season and environmental factors. In the present paper, we experimentallyinvestigated (i) the susceptibility and sensitivity of five South American tadpole species(Rhinella fernandezae, Scinax squalirostris, Hypsiboas pulchellus, Leptodactyluslatrans, and Physalaemus fernandezae) to a foreign Bd strain (JEL423), (ii) theresponse of two populations of P. fernandezae to a native Bd strain (MLA1), and (iii)the virulence of native and foreign Bd isolates on tadpoles of the same species. We alsoevaluated the relationship between Bd infection and the loss of keratinized mouthpartsin P. fernandezae. We found that all species except L. latrans were susceptible to Bdinfection with lethal consequences, with R. fernandezae being the most sensitivespecies. In P. fernandezae, sensitivity to infection depended on population as well asBd strain, although no relationship was found between fungal infection and the loss ofkeratinized mouthparts. This is the first experimental study on mortality rates of SouthAmerican tadpoles exposed to Bd.