McLelland, David J, Smith, Ian, Olds, Liberty, Myers, Cecilia, and Skerratt, Lee (2013) Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis not detected in anurans in the northern kimberley region of Western Australia. Herpetological Review, 44 (1). pp. 98-100.

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Abstract

[Extract] Chytridiomycocis, caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), is recognised as a significant threat to amphibian populations worldwide (Skerratt et al. 2007). The distribution and virulence of Bd appears to be dependent on various host and environmental parameters including host species, habitat, precipitation and temperature (Murray et al. 2011a; Puschendorf et al. 2011). The likelihood of Bd occurring in the range of bioregions across Australia is predicted in the model proposed by Murray et al. (2011b). The model predicts chytridiomycocis is unlikely to occur in arid and hot regions such as in northwestern Australia. However, sampling in these regions has been scant (Murray et al. 2011, 2011b). Most opportunistic reports and systematic surveys of Bd in Australia have been limited to the eastern, south-eastern and south-western coastal regions where overt population effects have been reported (Murray et al. 2011, 2011b). Therefore, we examine the predictions of Murray et al. (2011b) by opportunistically screening frogs for Bd as part of a biodiversity survey of vertebrate fauna in the north Kimberley region of north Western Australia.

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