Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans not detected in U.S. survey of pet salamanders

Blake Klocke,Carly R. Muletz-Wolz,Larry Rockwood,Robert C. Fleischer,Brian Gratwicke,A. Alonso Aguirre,Matthew Becker,James Lewis

doi:10.1038/s41598-017-13500-2

Abstract

We engaged pet salamander owners in the United States to screen their animals for two amphibian chytrid fungal pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and B. salamandrivorans (Bsal). We provided pet owners with a sampling kit and instructional video to swab the skin of their animals. We received 639 salamander samples from 65 species by mail, and tested them for Bd and Bsal using qPCR. We detected Bd on 1.3% of salamanders (95% CI 0.0053–0.0267) and did not detect Bsal (95% CI 0.0000–0.0071). If Bsal is present in the U.S. population of pet salamanders, it occurs at a very low prevalence. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed 201 species of salamanders as “injurious wildlife” under the Lacey Act (18 U.S.C. § 42) on January 28, 2016, a precautionary action to prevent the introduction of Bsal to the U.S. through the importation of salamanders. This action reduced the number of salamanders imported to the U.S. from 2015 to 2016 by 98.4%. Our results indicate that continued precautions should be taken to prevent the introduction and establishment of Bsal in the U.S., which is a hotspot of salamander biodiversity.

Highlights

We engaged pet salamander owners in the United States to screen their animals for two amphibian chytrid fungal pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and B. salamandrivorans (Bsal)
Our results indicate that continued precautions should be taken to prevent the introduction and establishment of Bsal in the
From 2010–2013, catastrophic enigmatic declines of fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) in the Netherlands resulted in the description of a second species belonging to the genus Batrachochytrium, the salamander-eating fungus B. salamandrivorans (Bsal)[7]

Summary

Introduction

We engaged pet salamander owners in the United States to screen their animals for two amphibian chytrid fungal pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and B. salamandrivorans (Bsal). The U.S is a global salamander biodiversity hotspot and the threat of Bsal introduction via the pet trade generated significant concern[15,16]. As a precautionary approach to avoid Bsal introduction, on 28 January 2016, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service included 20 genera of salamanders representing 201 species in the “injurious wildlife” list under the Lacey Act An urgent priority is to determine whether, Bsal already exists in captive or wild salamanders in the U.S The Bsal Task Force and Partners in Amphibian and Reptile

Methods

Results

Conclusion