FROGLOG - Amphibian Specialist Group

F ROGLOGNewsletter of the IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist GroupSaving the World one Drawing at a TimeSaving the World One Drawing at a Time is the inspiration ofBrenda Sherburn, a sculptor living in Fairfax, Virginia. The ideabehind her project is to have teens & children volunteer to makeand donate drawings which are then auctioned with proceeds goingtowards the “wish lists” of various environmental organizations andpeople working to save threatened species. Money raised is sent insupport of a specifically chosen environmental project, which thekids designate from a list of those partnering with Saving the WorldOne Drawing at a Time.Drawing by Garin W.As Brenda explains: “As a teacher, I could not find easy ways for childrenand teens to volunteer for environmental causes. I thought thereshould be a website that connects the youth with organizations thatneed help. Providing something from a “wish list” for these organizationsand individuals looked like an obtainable goal to me. So here Iam giving it a try. If I can get 100 kids to auction off their artworkWhat’s InsideCover storySaving the World One Drawing at a TimePage 1News from the ASGChanging Faces in the ASG Page 3Global ASG Network in place Page 4Seed Grant ReportsReports from Previous DAPTF Seed GrantsPage 4Population and Health of common toadsacross agricultural lands Page 4More ResearchBd infects M. moreirae from an Atlantic rainforest,Brazil Page 6Conference UpdatesInternational Conference on Bd Page 8Global Bd Mapping Project Page 10Funding OpportunitiesCritical Ecosystem Partnership Fund Page 10News from the Field:New Philatus Species Discovered from theWestern Ghats Page 11Journal UpdateVol 84 Decembr 2007New Section in “Hereptological Review”Page 12Instructions to Authors Page 121

Saving the world one Drawing at a timeContinued from page 1for as little as $10 each, that is$1000 towards some very neededwishes for an organization. Thusin our small way we can make animportant contribution to theseorganizations, which do the muchneeded and difficult work to helpsave out planet.”Golden frog, PanamaThere are ten great projects currentlybeing supported around theworld, two of which are focused onamphibians. Brenda recently meetwith a group of 3rd & 4th gradersat Marin Enrichmentand theytalked about JodiRowley and DeniseQuelquejeu’sAmphibian Projectsin Vietnam &Panama respectively.She explainedthe significance ofDensise’s work andthat seeing a GoldenFrog in Panamais a symbol of goodfortune. Jodi willactually give thekids in Vietnamwho volunteer afollow-up reportwith photos of her survey and theamphibians that she finds. In a letterwritten by Jodi, she shares someof the struggles she is faced with:A gratetful Jodi Rowley and frog in VietnamDrawing by Lauren W. grade 4“I was trying to get a website setup, but have been struggling withdengue fever at the same time(that’s one downside to workingover here- thetropical diseases!).Anyway, I decidedto focus on Vietnamin particular,as the amphibiansof Vietnam aremuch more diverse,and under greaterthreats. I preparedthe website specificallyfor your program.”.Both theseresearchers needmoney for equipmentand surveysthroughout theyear. The 25 youngartists at Kentfield2

Saving the world one Drawing at a timeContinued from previous pagethat participated produced beautifulfrog drawings and we even gota salamander drawing! They will bethese organizations are tryingto do and the problems they arefacing, people are encouraged tobe part of the solution and toadopt the missions of the organizationsand people working tosave these species. You can followthe projects that are being supportedby visiting their webpageon saveworlddraw.org. BrendaDrawing by Matt B. grade 4Drawing by Claire K. grade 4posted and auctioned off to directlyhelp Jodi & Denise’s work. If youhave a business and would like tomatch the money Marin Enrichmentkids bring in, you can sponsorthese children and help Jodi &Denise’s program thrive! Please,email saveworlddraw@mac.comfor more information.By learning about the workDrawing by Thomas S.J. grade 3will be doing ongoing write-upsfor every project so those participantsin the program can followthe progress being made. There ispositive energy at the Saving TheWorld One Drawing At A Timewebsite, as each of projects dealswith a critical situation, and thewebsite focuses on solutions.The ongoing saga for the projectsis still unwritten. Brendahopes for strong support fromparents and schools. The donatedart for the auction can be foundby visiting the website.ASG NEWSChanging Faces in the ASGAfter three successful years asthe International Coordinatorfor the Declining AmphibianPopulation Task Force (DAPTF)and throughout its transition tothe IUCN/SSC Amphibian SpecialistGroup (ASG), Jeanne Mc-Kay will be leaving to continueher conservation work as the Recruitingand Alumni Managerfor the Rare Pride program, UK.Jeanne said, “It has been a greatprivilege to work with innumerableamphibian researchers and conservationistsfrom all over the world.I wish the recently appointedASG Working Group Chairs everysuccess with their amphibianresearch and conservation pursuits.I would especially like tothank the former internationalDirector of the DAPTF, Tim Halliday,for his enormous contributionto amphibian research andfor his continued guidance andsupport. It has been a pleasureto work with the ASG co-Chairs,Claude Gascon and Jim Collins aswell as the ASG secretariat staff,Don Church and Robin Moore. Ilook forward to our paths crossingagain in the near future! “We are enormously grateful toJeanne for ensuring a seamlessand successful transition of theformer DAPTF into the ASGand wish her well for the future.Robin Moore, ConservationInternational’s AmphibianConservation Officer, will takeover as Editor of Froglog andtogether with Don Church willbe responsible for managing theASG’s Seed Grant Program andGlobal Working Group network.3

ASG Global NetworkWe are pleased to announcethat the complete ASGGlobal Network of Regional andNational Chairs is posted at www.amphibians.org. We are very gratefulto all those who have accepted aposition as Chair or Co-Chair andlook forward to working with all ofyou. One of the aims of the ASG isto catalyze conservation actions byforging partnerships and collaboration- we hope that by havingpoints of contact in each Regionof the world, we will facilitatecommunication among conservationistsand researchers. Pleasecontact the appropriate regionalChair regarding any amphibianwork that you are undertaking orplanning in your region.Seed Grant ReportsReports and publications from previous DAPTF Seed GrantsRecipients of former DAPTFSeed Grants are generally expectedto publish the results oftheir projects in refereed journals,or as articles in Froglog. They arealso required to send reports, sothat their results can be madeavailable to ASG members. Belowis a report that has been receivedrecently. Anyone wanting a copyof it should contact the author inthe first instance; if you cannotreach the author, please contactTim Halliday - t.r.halliday@open.ac.uk.Muhammad Iqbal Setiadi, BenEvans, Amir Hamidy, Zainal AbidinYusufpati & Dwi Susanto.(2006) Speciation and DistributionPatterns of Amphibians andReptiles in Halmahera, Indonesia.(setiadmi@mcmaster.ca)J. Susanne Hauswaldt, JessikaFüssel, Claudio Angelini, DiethardTautz, Sebastian Steinfartz. (2006)Population genetics of the endangeredSpectacled Salamander, Salamandrinaperspicillata and S. terdigitata.(sebastian.steinfartz@unibielefeld.de)• The following papers report worksupported by former DAPTF SeedGrants:Alemu, I. J. B., Cazabon, N. M. E.,Dempewolf, L., Hailey, A., Lehtinen,R. M., Mannette, R. P., Naranjit,K., & Roach, A. C. J. (2007) Ecologicalobservations on the criticallyendangered Tobago endemic frogMannophryne olmonae. AppliedHerpetol: 4; 377-386. (Grants toAdrian Hailey et al., 2005, funded byChester Zoo.)(adrian.hailey@sta.uwi.edu)Population and Health of Common Toads AcrossAgricultural Lands: Implications in Worldwide DeclinesPaola M. Peltzer, Rafael C. Lajmanovich, Andrés M. Attademo, Mariana Cabagna, Gabriela Fiorenza, CelinaM. Junges and Agustín BassóEmerging evidence indicatesthat loss of habitat as a resultof agricultural development maybe contributing to reductions inanuran diversity in some locations.Although, this vertebrate group iscommonly used in laboratory toxicitytests, few field studies haveproduced evidence a significantrelationship between agriculturalactivities and amphibian responses.The overall goal of this researchwas to determine the diversity andhealth of toad populations on agriculturallands of Entre Ríos Province(Argentina). The three selectedspecies in this study (Chaunusfernandezae, C. arenarum, and C.schneideri) are widely distributedin Argentina and have relativelysmall home ranges (Lajmanovich1995), making them excellent bioindicatorsof contamination at alocal scale.The Primary Objectives of thisstudy were: a) estimate the diversityand composition of toads in soybeancropland; b) determine the extent ofcholinesterase activity in commonadult toads of agricultural sites; c)establish hematological parametersof adults, and d) detect genotoxic effectsof pesticide in erythrocytes oftadpoles.We studied agricultural sites in the4

Population and Health of common toads across ag landsContinued from previous pageMid-west region of Entre Ríos Province.It presents the biggest expansionof agricultural lands and fragmentationof the landscape. Tensoybean fields and two control siteswere sampled for larvae and adultsduring breeding events (coincidentwith period of soybean cultivation).During the day, surveys were conductedto detect anuran egg massesand tadpoles, while night surveysincluded active searches to detectnon-calling anurans and listeningfor calling male anurans, followingthe guide by Heyer et al. (1994).Individual adults were transportedin buckets to Ecotoxicology Lab ofFBCB-UNL for laboratory analysis.Each individual was anesthetized usingthe guide by ASIH et al. (2001),sexed, measured for snout-ventlength (SVL; to nearest mm) with acaliper and mass (g) with a balance.Adult malformations were analyzedfollowing the descriptionsdetailed in the field guide to malformationsof frogs and toads (Meteyer,2000). To take representativesamples and comparable data weused adult of three bufonid speciesfor this parameter. Samples of blood(ca. 300-500 µL) were extracted inanesthetized adult animals by cardiacpuncture using a small heparinizedneedle, previously locating the heartvia palpation. The anurans then werereleased in the same sites in whichthey were captured. Plasma BChEactivity was determined colorimetricallyby the method of Ellman etal. (1961) with some modifications(Sánchez-Hernández & Moreno Sánchez,2002). Hematocrit, hemoglobinconcentration, mean of cell hemoglobin,mean cell volume, meancell hemoglobin concentrations,red blood cell, and white blood cellwere determined for each toad speciesfollowing the protocols of Cabagnaet al. (2005).For micronuclei (MN) testswe conducted field experimentswith Scinax nasicus (Anura, Hylidae)tadpoles caged in agriculturalponds, because this species is notgregarius and is larger than Chaunustadpoles. Three replicates ofeach in situ chamber (ten tadpolesof similar Gosner developmentstage (st. 37) were located in eachpond under plant shade). Samplesof blood was extracted in anesthetizedtadpoles by cardiac puncture.Two peripheral blood smearsfor each tadpole were prepared onclean slides, fixed and stained bythe May-Grunwald-Giemsa method.The MN frequency was determinedin 1,000 erythrocytes fromeach tadpole using 1,000 X magnification.Other alterations of theerythrocytes were also registered.Relative abundance.The most common toad speciesobserved was Chaunus fernandezae,recorded in 65% of the total pondssampled surrounded by or withinsoybean croplands, followed by C.schneideri (21%) and C. arenarum(14%). Tadpoles and eggs in jellystrand were recorded for the threetoad species in reference sites, butevidence of reproduction was onlyobserved for C. fernandezae in pondssampled surrounded by sor withinsoybean croplands. The proportionof males and females of C. fernandezaedid not differed signifcantlyamong pond samples (agriculturalsites and controls). The proportionof sexes of C. arenarum and C. schneiderivaried significantly amongagricultural ponds and referenccesites, being biased towards malesin the former.We found upper eye-lid (n = 1),hindlimb (n = 3), and forelimb (n= 3) malformations in toad specimens(total specimens review n =124) collected across agriculturalsites of the Mid-west Entre RíosProvince. Moreover, similar malformationswere recorded in othernative species (Leptodactylus ocellatus,L. chaquensis, L. gracilis, Physalaemusbiligonigerus) that commonlyoccur in agroecosystemsalongside the three study species.Cholinesterase analysis and haematologicalanalysis:The mean values of plasma BChEactivity varied from 1 µmol min-1ml-1 (C. schneideri at agriculturalsites) to 17.31 µmol min-1ml-1(C. fernandezae at references sites).BChE activity was statisticallylower in the amphibians collectedfrom the agricultural sites thanthose from the reference site (KStest for the three species P < 0.05).Moreover, the differences in theactivity of BChE were significantamong the three study species (P< 0.05). In addition, the increasein plasma BChE was inverselyproportional to the body weight ofthe three anurans (r = - 0.85; P 0.01), in all caseslower values in agricultural siteswere recorded for each haematologicalparameter.The erythrocystes of caged tadpoles in natural sites were oblongovalshaped with centric nuclei.5

Population and Health of common toads across ag landsContinued from previous pageCaged tadpoles at agricultural siteshad MN in their erythrocytes, althoughthere was no significantdifferencewith respect to the controlgroup. Moreover, erythrocyteslysis was found in higher percentages(17.51%) in tadpoles caged atagricultural sites.Pesticides have the potential tocause dramatic variation in naturalcommunities (Relyea 2005),yet our knowledge of their effectson natural communities is limitedto cases in which pesticides havebeen intentionally or accidentallyapplied to natural sites with subsequentbiota surveys. Based inour results we can determine thattoads inhabiting agroecosystemsare at serious risk, based on evidenceindicating the response toexposure compromises health status.Indeed, we found anuran malformationsacross agricultural sitessuggesting a link with agrochemicalscontamination. Based on laboratoryevidence we propose thatB-sterases should be applied infield monitoring as biomarkers ofpesticide exposure to wildlife becausethe non-destructive natureof its analysis and the sensitivity ofwildlife to anti-ChE agrochemicals.These data represent the firstto indicate the response and healthstatus of toads across agriculturallands in Argentina. Extrapolationfrom the present study is easy, bythe use of representative species ofnative anuran commonly foundin agroecosystems. But, before definitiveconclusions can be drawnconcerning the unsuitability ofagricultural areas for anuran populations,long-term monitoringof population health are urgentlyneed.Acknowledgements: We thankvery especially to Dr. Juan CarlosSánchez-Hernández for his advicewith B-sterases techniques and logisticalsupport.References:ASIH, HL & SSAR. (2001).Guidelines for use of live amphibiansand reptiles in field research.http: //www.utexas.edu/depts/asih/herpcoll.htlm. Accessed on13/06/02Cabagna M.C., R.C. Lajmanovich,G. Stringhini, J.C.Sanchez-Hernandez & P.M. Peltzer.(2005). Hematological parametersof health status in thecommon toad Bufo arenarum inagroecosystems of Santa Fe Province,Argentina. App. Herpetol. 2(4): 373-380.Ellman L, K.D Courtey, V. Andreas& R.M. Featherstone. (1961).A new rapid colorimetric determinationof cholinesterase activity.Bioch. Pharm. 7: 88-95.Heyer, W.R., M.A. Donelly, R.W.McDiarmid, L.C. Hayek & M.S.Foster. (1994). (Eds.). Measuringand Monitoring Biological Diversity,Standard Methods for Amphibians.Smithsonian Institution Press,Washington DC.Lajmanovich R.C. (1995). Relacionestróficas de bufónidos (Anura:Bufonidae) en ambien tes del ríoParaná, Argentina. Alytes 13: 87-103.Meteyer C.U. (2000). Field guideto malformations of frogs and toadswith radiographic interpretations.Biological Science Report. USGS/BRD/BSR-2000-0005.Sanchez-Hernandez, J.C. & B.Moreno-Sanchez. (2002). Lizardcholinesterases as biomarkers ofpesticide exposure: enzymologicalcharacterization. Environ. Toxicol.Chem. 21: 2319-2325.Relyea R.A. (2005). The impactof insecticides and herbicides onthe biodiversity and productivityof aquatic communities. Ecol. Appl.15: 618-627Emails: paolapeltzer@hotmail.com; lajmanovich@hotmail.com;atademo@yahoo.comMore RESEARCHBatrachochytrium dendrobatidis infects Melanoprhyniscus moreirae (AnuraBufonidae) from an Atlantic Rainforest area (Itatiaia), southeastern BrazilMonique Van Slys, Thais Klaion Ferreira, Flavia Rachel Moreira Lamarão, Milton Ozório MoraesDeclines of amphibian populationsdriven by the chytridfungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidisare a concern worldwide(Berger et al., 1999; Lips et al.,2005). Although there is evidencethat not all reported amphibian declinesare caused by the chytrid fungus(Daszak et al., 2005), the diseasechytridiomycosis has been linked to6species declines and extinctions onseveral continents (Weldon & duPrez 2004, Lips et al., 2006; Mendelsonet al., 2006; Schloegel et al.,2006).

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infects M. moreirae from an Atlantic rainforest, brazilContinued from previous pageIn Brazil, reported declines ofamphibian populations comemainly from the Atlantic Rainforest,and also from the Cerrado(Heyer et al., 1981; Weygoldt,1989, Guix et al., 1998, Eterovicket al., 2005). B. dendrobatidis hasalready been reported from severalspecies in the Atlantic Rainforest,from Rio Grande do Sul (southernmoststate) to Pernambuco (northeastern)(Toledo et al., 2006, Carnavalet al., 2006). However, thereis not enough data to link B. dendrobatidisto amphibian declines inBrazil.Melanophryniscus moreirae is asmall bufonid (mean adult bodysize < 20mm) found in the ItatiaiaPlateau and in the SerraFina, southeast Brazil, alwaysabove 2,000 m (Bokerman, 1967;Marques et al, 2006). These toadsare diurnal, and breed in shallowpuddles from September to December(Bokerman, 1967; Starret,1967; Guido-Castro, 2006).M. moreirae has been reported as‘declining’ by Guix et al. (1998),but no systematic monitoring ofthis endemic toad has been carriedout.Herein we report the occurrenceof B. dendrobatidis infecting thetoad M. moreirae using Real timePCR.The study was carried out on theItatiaia Plateau in the Itatiaia NationalPark (PNI), located 44º34’to 44º42’ W, and 22º16’ to 22º28’S, southeast of Brazil. Field workwas carried out in spring 2006(October and November) as part ofa monitoring program. Fifty adultmales were captured between 09hand 16h in individual new plasticbags, in which they were measuredfor snout-urostyle length(SUL) with a calipers (precision =0.1mm). We firmly ran one swab(Medical Wire & Equipment Co.)in different parts of the frog’s body(Kriger et al., 2006). All animalswere released after sampling.We analyzed swabs using quantitative(real-time) PCR techniques(Boyle et al. 2004, Krigeret al., 2006). We classified eachsample as positive or negative forinfection with Batrachochytriumdendrobatidis. Our estimates ofthe number of zoospores representthe mean value of B. dendrobatidisgenome equivalentsdetected in the three runs of thePCR analysis.Two individuals (SUL =24.9mm and 26.1mm) were infectedwith B. dendrobatidis, correspondingto a prevalence (sensuBush et al., 1997) of 4%. Thenumbers of zoospore equivalentswere low in both individuals (1.4and 1.5 zoospore equivalents, respectively).No evident clinical orabnormal signs were observed inthese frogs.This is the first report of B. dendrobatidisin M. moreirae and thefirst for the genus. Even thoughthe prevalence and severity of infectionwere low, this result suggestsprecautionary measures betaken considering the restrictedgeographic range of M. moreirae.Monitoring of M. moreirae aswell as the possible evolution ofthe pathogen in this populationshould contribute to our currentunderstanding of the dynamics ofthis disease and to accurately determinethe impact of B. dendrobatidison this endemic species.Acknowledgements.We thank CNPq and Biodiversitasfor fundings. D. Boyle fromCSIRO, Australia, provided thestandards. We appreciate the financialsupport provided by RANA forone of the authors (TKF) to attendthe workshop on chytrid investigation.ReferencesBerger L, Speare R, Hyatt AD(1999) Chytrid fungi and amphibiandeclines: overview, implicationsand future directions. In: CampbellA (ed) Declines and disappearancesof Australian frogs. EnvironmentAustralia: Canberra, p 23-33.Boyle, DG, Boyle DB, OlsenV, Morgan JAT, Hyatt AD (2004)Rapid quantitative detection ofchytridiomycosis (Batrachochytriumdendrobatidis) in amphibiansamples using real-time TaqmanPCR assay. Dis. Aquat. Org.60:141-148.Bokermann, WCA (1967) Observaçõessobre Melanophryniscusmoreirae (Mir. Rib.) (Amphibia -Brachycephalidae). An. Acad. Bras.Cienc. 39(2):301-306.Bush AO, Lafferty KD, Lotz JM,Shostak AW (1997) Parasitologymeets ecology on its ows terms:Margolis et al revisited. J Parasitol83(4): 575-583.Carnaval, ACOQ, PuschendorfR, Peixoto, OL, Verdade, VK, Rodrigues,MT (2006) Amphibianchytrid Fungus Broadly distributedin the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest.EcoHealth, 2006:1-8.Daszak P, Scott DE, FaggioniC, Kilpatrick AM, Gibbons JW,Porter D (2005) Amphibian pop-7

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infects M. moreirae from an Atlantic rainforest, brazilContinued from previous pageulation declines at SavannahRiver site are linked to climate,not chytridiomycosis. Ecology86:3532-3537Kriger K.M., Hines H.B.,Hyatt A.D., Boyle D.G. andHero J-M. (2006) Techniquesfor detecting chytridiomycosisin wild frogs: comparing histologywith real-time TaqmanPCR. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms71: 141-148.Lips, K, Brem F, Brenes R,Reeve JD, Alford RA, VoylesJ, Carey C, Livo L, Pessier AP,Collins JP (2006) Emerging infectiousdisease and the loss ofbiodiversity in a Neotropical amphibiancommunity. Proc. Nat.Acad. Sci. 103:3165-3170.Mendelson III JR et al. (2006)Confronting Amphibian Declinesand Extinctions. Science 313: 48.Rachowicz, LJ, Hero, J-M,Alford RA, Taylor JW, MorganJAT, Vredemburg, VT, CollinsJP, Briggs, CJ (2005) Cons. Biol.19(5): 1441-1448.Schloegel LM, Hero J-M,Berger L, Speare R, McDonaldK, Daszak P (2006) The Declineof the Sharp-Snouted Day Frog(Taudactylus acutirostris): TheFirst Documented Case of Extinctionby Infection in a Free-RangingWildlife Species? EcoHealth 3:35–40.Toledo, LF, Britto, FB, AraújoOGS, Giasson, LMO, Haddad,CFB (2006). The Occurrence ofBatrachochytrium dendrobatidisin Brazil and the Inclusion of 17New Cases of Infection. Jour. Herpet.1(3): 185-191.Weldon C, du Preez LH (2004)Decline of the Kihansi spray toad,Nectophrynoides asperginis, fromthe Udzungwa mountains, Tanzania.Froglog 62:2-3.Corresponding author: MVS(vansluys@uerj.br)Conference updateInternational Conference on Batrachochytrium dendobatidisBy Dr. Purnima GovindarajuluThe conference ‘AmphibianDeclines & Chytridiomycosis:Translating Scienceinto Urgent Action’ was heldNovember 5th – 7th, 2007 inTempe, Arizona. The conferencewas hosted by Partners inAmphibian and Reptile Conservation(PARC) and the US Fishand Wildlife Service’s Divisionof the National Fish HatcherySystem and sponsored by 19additional organizations includingthe ASG (http://www.parcplace.org/Bd_conference.html).The primary goals of the conferencewere to: Review currentknowledge of Batrachochytriumdendrobatidis (Bd), assess scientificpriorities and managementneeds, and identify actions tolimit spread and impact. Theconference was attended byover 200 participants from 9countries, representing Universityand research organizations,federal and state/provincemanagement agencies, industry,pet trade, zoos, NGOs andprivate funding foundations.The first day of the conferencewas dedicated to summarizingcurrent knowledge andidentifying knowledge gaps ofBd and chytridiomycosis. Bdhas been found in all continentswith amphibians, although Bdsurveillance is still very patchy.There is currently insufficientknowledge to decide on theorigin Bd or the reasons forthe emergence of chytridiomycosis.However, there are manyexamples from Central America,Australia, Europe and parts ofNorth America of Bd acting as anintroduced and invasive pathogencausing die-offsand populationextirpations. There are alsosome geographic areas where Bdis widespread without associatedamphibian die-offs.The methods for detecting Bdhave been well established andthe genome of two Bd isolateshas been sequenced. However,the phylogenetic relationshipsamong Bd isolates and the correlationbetween genetic differencesand virulence has not beenestablished. Similarly, althoughvarious isolates of Bd have beencultured and the life-cycle descr-8

International Conference on BDContinued from previous pageibed the question of sexual reproductionand the formationof resistant spores remains unanswered.It has also been shown that Bdcan persist in the environmenteven in the absence of amphibianhosts but what the alternatedisease reservoirs are or how longit can persist in the absence ofan amphibian host remains tobe clarified. This is particularlytroublesome for efforts to reintroduceamphibian populationsto areas where they have beenextirpated.A major knowledge gap is inunderstanding how Bd causesmortality and the function ofinnate and induced immune responsesin conferring resistance.Normal skin bacteria and antimicrobialskin peptides haveboth been suggested as potentialresistance factors. Temperatureand humidity have been correlatedwith the ability of an animalto shed Bd infections. Dr. R.Poulter discussed the promise ofchoramphenicol as a treatmentfor chytridiomycosis in captivitybut further research needs to becompleted before it is widely useddue to potential risks to humanhealth and the environment. Dr.Poulter also raised the hopes ofthe audience by hinting at another,more benign compound thatis currently being tested. Currenttreatments including itraconazole,benzalkonium, malachitegreen, povidone-iodine havebeen associated with side-effectsand treatment failures in somecases.The second day of the conferencefocused on managementstrategies from the internationalto the regional efforts. At the internationallevel, the Aquatic AnimalCommission of the WorldOrganization of Animal Health(OIE) is considering a proposalto make chytridiomycosis aninternationally notifiable diseasewhich would then requiremember countries to better understandthe distribution of Bd.At the national level the ThreatAbatement Plan developed bythe Australians remains the mostcomprehensive Bd managementstrategy. Identified managementneeds included standardized sanitationand quarantine protocolsfor captive and field amphibianwork, internationally standardizedsurveillance protocols andcentral reporting facilities fordisease outbreaks and amphibiandie-offs, response strategies fordisease outbreaks and assessmentof regulatory tools that could beused to stem the spread of Bd.The afternoon focused on casestudies discussing the impact ofBd on recovery and reintroductionefforts for endangered populations.The last day of the conferenceconsisted of a series of facilitatedgroup discussions focused onmaking plans and taking actionon a number of priority issues.The topics covered included determiningthe scientific prioritiesfor meeting Bd managementinformation needs, developingconservation plans for infectedpopulations, identifying and initiatingplans to stop the spreadof Bd and formulating early responsestrategies.A number of products are expectedto result from the conference.Many of the presentationsand discussions will be summarizedand published in a specialissue of Diseases in Aquatic Organismsin 2008. The meetingprogram and updated abstractswill be posted on the PARCwebsite: http://www.parcplace.org/Bd_conference.html. Otherexpected outputs include “Tool-Kit” documents such as hygieneand quarantine protocols, directoryof Bd testing laboratories,standard surveillance protocols,Bd fact-sheets for various audiences,an outreach campaigntargeting the pet industry tominimize their role in the spreadof Bd and various conservationplans.Overall, the conference provideda venue for researchers andmanagers to come together todiscuss this emerging threat inamphibian conservation. Manypeople observed that the rapidprogress that had been made inBd research and managementwas due to the generous sharingof information and collaborationwithin the research community.The 2007 Amphibian Declines& Chytridiomycosis conferenceserved to consolidate these existingcollaborations and to forgemany new ones.Email: Purnima.Govindarajulu@gov.bc.ca9

Global Bd Mapping ProjectDeanna H. Olson and Kathryn RonnenbergOur aim has been to compileas much of the existing Bddata as possible to gain a snapshotlook at the status of our globalknowledge and to produce a mapof the global distribution of Bd.We have compiled over 2,800 recordsso far. Although more informationis coming in to us, to date,we have found that Bd:• sampling has occurred oris ongoing in 86 countries.Global map illustrating presence or absence of Bd in frogs, toads and salamanders• occurs in 53.5% (38 of 71)of the countries for which we havedata.• is linked to mortalities in18 of 38 countries having Bd.• occurs in 233 of 425 (55%)anuran species, in 17 of 25 familiessampled.• occurs in 24 of 36 (67%)salamander species, in all 5 familiessampled.In 2008, we will be working withMat Fisher and David Aanensenof Imperial College, London,UK, to migrate the global Bddata to www.spatialepidemiology.com,which is a greatly improvedmapping tool that willallow us to continue this projectinto the future. Stay tuned formore information on that as itdevelops!Email: dedeolson@fs.fed.usFunding opportunitiesCritical Ecosystem Partnership Funding regions: Caucasus, Mountainsof southwest China, Guinean forestsof West Africa and Succulent Karoo.More information about these regionsand projects that are supported canWe are inviting applicants tosubmit proposals for amphibianresearch and conservationunder the Critical ecosystem PartnershipFund within the followbefound at www.cepf.net. Pleasecontact me for more information,or submit proposals by January25 2008 to Robin Moore:rdmoore@conservation.org10

NEWS from the fieldNew Philatus Species Discovered from the Western Ghats, India: PotentialIndicators of Habitat FragmentationGururaja, K.V.hilautus neelanethrus (Gururajaet al., 2007a) and Philau-Ptus ochlandrae (Gururaja et al.,2007b) have been discovered fromthe Western Ghats. The genusPhilautus is known for direct development,wherein froglets emergedirectly from eggs and skip the tadpolestage; a significant adaptationtowards arboreal life style (Gururajaand Ramachandra, 2006).The identity and overall taxonomicrelationships of P. neelanethruscan be most reliably inferred basedon molecular analysis. The phylogeneticand molecular-dating analysissuggests that P. neelanethrus is a relativelyold taxon among other speciesof Philautus endemic to the WesternGhats. The relatively older origin ofthe taxon with its extant populationin restricted, non-overlap¬ping andnon-contiguous patches in the midaltitudinalrange (500–700 m asl)characterized by ever¬green/semievergreen/moistdeciduous forestPhilautus neelanethrus Blue-eyed shrub frogdiscovered from Western Ghatspatches in the centralWestern Ghats, andmost importantly inMyristica swamps(considered to be livingfossils among thevegetation types prevailingin the region)suggests its importanceas a indicatorof habitat fragmentation.This indicatesthat there had beensignificant habitatfragmentation in theWestern Ghats, leading to the presentday disjunct populations.Philautus ochlandrae is a speciesnamed after the host plant Ochlandrasetigera reed brakes of KakkayamReserve Forest. This forest harborssome of the best remaining tropicalwet evergreen forest in the WesternGhats. Developing embryos alongwith male and female individualswere found inside the hollow tubularinternodes of Ochlandrareed brakes. Moreover, thisnew species is so far knownonly from the type locality.The issue of great concernis that many of the specieswill simply vanish even beforethey are formally detectedand identified, asthere is a tremendous pressuregenerated from ever increasinghuman populationand human-induced changesin the Western Ghats.These discoveries furtherPhilautus ochlandare Ochlandra reed shrub frogdiscovered from Western Ghatshighlight the need for conservationas well as a systematic studyin the region.ReferencesGururaja KV and RamachandraTV. (2006). Direct developmentin White-nosed shrub frog Philautuscf. leucorhinus. Current Science90(3):450–454.Gururaja KV, Aravind NA,Sameer Ali, Ramachandra TV,Velavan TP, Krishnakumar V andAggarwal RK. (2007a). A NewFrog Species from the CentralWestern Ghats of India, and itsphylogenetic status. Zoological Sciences24:525–534.Gururaja KV, Dinesh KP, PalotMJ, Radhakrishna C and RamachandraTV. (2007b). A newspecies of Philautus Gistel (Amphibia:Anura: Rhacophoridae)from southern Western Ghats, India.Zootaxa 16:1-16.Email: gururaj@ces.iisc.ernet.in11

Journal updateNotice for New Section in “Herpetological review”: AmphibianChytidiomycosis Distributionnew section will be includedA in the journal “HerpetologicalReview” which will be akin tothe current “Geographic Distribution”section in the journal, butspecific to detections (and nondetections) of chytridiomycosis.This section will offer a timelyoutlet for streamlined presentationof research exploring thedistribution and prevalence of theamphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytriumdendrobatidis (Bd).Bd is an emerging infectious diseaselinked to mass mortality ofamphibians worldwide, yet Bddetections in amphibians withno symptoms also are known inmany areas.To aid in our understandingof the scope of this issue, we encouragesubmission of studies onInstructions to AuthorsBd geographic distribution, includingresearch on individual speciesor groups of species, wild or captiveanimals, native or non-nativespecies, live animals or museumspecimens, environmentalsamples, and findings with noBd detections.We ask authors to: 1) restrictthe Introduction of their paperto a maximum of two paragraphsto highlight the context of theirstudy; 2) briefly include both fieldand laboratory Methods; 3) presentResults in a Table, although amap also may be very useful, andlimited text; and 4)have a short discussion of a maximumof three paragraphs to touchupon key findings.Please consider including thefollowing information in submissions:coordinates and descriptionof sampling areas (or pleasenote if locations are extremelysensitive to reveal, and providegeneral area instead); positiveand negative results; dispositionof voucher specimens; dateof specimen collection; name ofcollaborative laboratory or researcherconducting histologicalsections or! PCR analyses; andnames of cooperative land ownersor land management agencies.We aim to expedite the reviewand publication process!Please email submissions directlyto the Associate Editorof the section, Dr. Dede Olson:dedeolson@fs.fed.us.FROGLOG publishes a rangeof articles on any research,discoveries or conservation newsrelating to the amphibian declinephenomenon. We encourageauthors describing originalresearch to first make submissionsto a refereed journal andthen, if appropriate, to publisha synopsis in Froglog. Submissionsshould be in English, normallyno more than 1000 wordsand follow the style of FRO-GLOG Vol 83 (as should references).You may also submitimages, maps, figures or tables.We encourage the submissionof photographs to accompanytext. Short news items andpress releases are also acceptable.Please submit potentialcontributions to Robin Mooreat the address in the box to theright.FROGLOG is the bi-monthly newsletterof the Amphibian SpecialistGroup (ASG). Articles on any subjectrelevant to the understanding of amphibianconservation, research and / orassessments should be sent to: RobinMoore, Editor, Conservation International,2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500,arlington, VA 22202, USA.E-mail: rdmoore@conservation.org12