Infectious diseases are a growing global concern, particularly when leading to population declines and loss of biodiversity.  In amphibians, infectious diseases are among the causes linked to global population declines and extinctions.  In particular, the fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has received considerable attention due to its apparent role in amphibian population declines around the world.  While many amphibian species appear to be affected by Bd, there is little information on species-specific differences in susceptibility to this pathogen.  We used a comparative experimental approach to examine Bd susceptibility in seven species of anurans (frogs and toads) from the United States.  We exposed post-metamorphic animals to Bd for four weeks and monitored mortality, growth, feeding rates, and final infection levels. 

Results/Conclusions

In all species tested, Bd-exposed animals had higher rates of mortality than control (unexposed) animals.  Furthermore, we found differences in mortality rates among species even though species did not differ in the amount of Bd detected on their bodies.  In general, we detected lower levels of Bd on individuals that survived longer and found that animals with larger initial sizes survived longer and had lower levels of Bd.  These baseline data will serve as an important step toward defining species differences in disease susceptibility.