Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Argentina: First Record in Leptodactylus gracilis and Another Record in Leptodactylus ocellatus

GHIRARDI, R, LESCANO, JN, LONGO, MS, ROBLEDO, G, STECIOW, M, PEROTTI, MG

HERPETOLOGICAL REVIEW

Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles

Lugar: New Haven, Connecticut, USA; Año: 2009 vol. 40 p. 175 - 176

0018-084X

<!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB; mso-fareast-language:ES;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 3.0cm 70.85pt 3.0cm; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> In the last few decades, rapid decline and extinctions in populations have been reported in more than 400 amphibian species all over the world (e.g., Lips et al. 2005). The rate of extinction of amphibians is truly startling. A recent study estimates that current rates of extinction are 211 times the background extinction rate for amphibians, and rates would be as high as 25000–45000 times greater if all of the currently threatened species go extinct (McCallum 2007). Different causes have been proposed including, global climate change, environmental contaminants, habitat alteration, introduction of exotic species and emerging diseases (e.g., Bielby et al. 2008). Among the emerging diseases, one of the pathogens that has received main attention is the chytridiomycete Batrachochytriumdendrobatidis (Bd) Longcore, Pessier & D.K. Nichols (1999), found in many areas where population declines have occurred (e.g. Skerratt et al. 2007). A recent study by Ron (2005) identifies potential suitable regions for the establishment of Bd in the New World. Particularly in South America, Ron predicted as suitable regions the Brazilian Atlantic forest, the temperate forest in Chile and western Argentina (south to 30ºS), northeastern Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. Also, Bielby et al. (2008) analyzed rapid declines to find rules-of-thumb about which biological and environmental traits make species more susceptible to increased extinction risk in the future, particularly in the context of Bd related declines. Later findings of the fungus in these regions confirm authors’ hypothesis. Thus far, in the last 3 years in ArgentinaBatrachochytrium dendrobatidis was registered in four anuran species at three geographic locations. Barrionuevo and Mangione (2006) found Telmatobius pisanoi and T. atacamensis (Anura: Leptodactylidae) infected with chytridiomycosis at mountain areas in Northern Argentina. Also, the fungus was registered in adult specimens of Leptodactylus ocellatus (Anura: Leptodactilidae) at Buenos Aires province (Arellano et al., 2006, Herrera et al., 2005) and in North Patagonia, Fox et al. (2006) found Atelognathus patagonicus (Anura: Leptodactilidae) infected with B. dendrobatidis. In this work, we present new occurrences of chytridiomycosis in the striped thin-toed frog (Leptodactylus gracilis) and in the spotted thin-toed frog (Leptodactylusocellatus).