Survey of Turkey’s endemic amphibians for chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

2018

The Anatomical Record

Pelophylax caralitanus is a medium-sized frog that is endemic to the upland Lake District of south-central Turkey and currently identified as a threatened species as a result of overharvesting and habitat modification. In this report, demographic data are provided for four major lakeside populations of this species based on a skeletochronological analysis of bone growth in large samples of frogs that were captured and released during 2011 and 2013. Adult males (aged 2-9 years) and females (aged 2-10 years) ranged in size from 66 to 105 mm snout-vent length (SVL) and 65 to 110 mm SVL, respectively, and typically attained sexual maturity in their second (low-elevation sites) or third (high-elevation sites) summer of growth following metamorphosis. The four populations exhibited differences in growth rate and age at sexual maturity, which appeared to reflect differences in the average monthly temperature and length of the growth season rather than elevation per se, that is, warmer temperatures and longer growth seasons resulted in smaller adults. All populations had a similar overall age structure, with approximately equal frequencies of individuals in the five age and size classes following maturity. Anat Rec, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Section: Regional Comparisonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age, Size, and Growth of the Turkish Endemic Frog Pelophylax Caralitanus (Anura: Ranidae)

2018

The Anatomical Record

“…Black Sea region has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb), wet and humid (summer 23°C, winter 7°C) (Sensoy et al 2008). Our previous study suggests that the Anatolian climate is indeed favorable for the spread of chytridiomycosis (Erismis et al 2014). Intercalarily, Bd has been found in five mainlands including North and South America, Europe, Oceana, Africa, and Asia.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…The intensity of infection was measured as the number of genome equivalents (GE) per swab, calculated by multiplying the GE values generated during the qPCR by the dilution factor of the template DNA. Swabs were categorized as Bd positive at ≥1 GE and as Bdnegative at <1 GE (Kriger et al 2006;Hyatt et al 2007;Anna et al 2011;Erismis et al 2014). All analyses were performed in triplicate.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential Distribution of the Amphibian Pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in the Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey

Journal of Limnology and Freshwater Fisheries Research

2019

Although Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, pathogen for amphibians, has been reported in Anatolia, its geographical distribution, as well as its impact on the amphibians in Turkey, remained obscure. In this study, 62 adult individuals belonging to ten different species (Pelodytes caucasicus, Rana dalmatina, Rana macrocnemis, Bufo bufo, Bufo verrucosissimus, Bufotes variabilis, Hyla savignyi, Pelophylax ridibundus, Ommatotriton ophryticus, and Mertensiella caucasicus) were collected from five wetland habitats in Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey. The prevalence and the intensity of B. dendrobatidis infections in all the individuals were investigated by using quantitative Real-time-PCR technique and the presence of B. dendrobatidis infection was reported for the first time in 13 of the 62 individuals collected from 10 amphibian species from Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey. The intensity of B. dendrobatidis infection ranged from 403.520 to 534.280 genomic equivalents (GE) was detected. The highest GE between amphibian species were determined in P. caucasicus (534.280 GE) in Uzungöl (Çaykara-Trabzon) and B. bufo (504.00 GE) in Lake Karagöl (Şavşat-Artvin).

“…Infected frogs begin to die about 21 day, death usually occurs in adult animals (Voyles et al, 2012). Recent studies in Turkey have shown that Bd is present in Pelophylax ridibundus, Hyla orientalis, Pseudepidalea variabilis, P. caralitanus and P. bedriagae (Gocmen et al, 2013;Erismis et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently studies have shown that Chytridiomycosis is one of the threatening factor for amphibian in Turkey (Gocmen et al, 2013;Erismis et al, 2014), although there are a few studies about chytridiomycosis, there is not any report on Rv infection. To our knowledge, there has not been any published data dealing with the co-occurrence of these two pathogens in amphibian populations in Turkey.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of Prevalence of Co-Infection by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Ranavirus in Endemic Beyşehir Frog (Pelophylax caralitanus)

Yoldaş

Uğuz

2019

Acta Aquatica Turcica

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Ranavirus (Rv) are among the pathogens responsible for the rapid decline of amphibian populations worldwide. The aim of this study is to determine the presence of both pathogens in the endemic Beyşehir frog population living in the Lakes Region in the southwestern Anatolia between 2014-2015 years. Prevalences of each pathogen and co-infections (i.e., presence infection with both of Bd and Rv in same animal) were 48.6 %, 10.3 % and 7.0 % respectively and differences in prevalences were detected among lakes and years. This study is the first report of Rv infection and co-infection with Bd and Rv of endemic Beyşehir frog (Pelophylax caralitanus) in Turkey. Although there are infection by both pathogens, it is unclear that how effective in declining of P.caralitanus population.