Here, we investigated whether Cuban treefrogs tadpoles Exposure to killed zoospores did not induce a protective response. However, tadpoles exposed to Bd metabolites had significantly lower Bd intensity and prevalence than tadpoles that were not exposed to metabolites. The metabolites Bd produce pose no risk of Bd infection and therefore make an epidemiologically safe prophylaxis treatment, protecting tadpoles against Bd. This work provides a promising potential for protecting amphibians in the wild as a disease management strategy for controlling Bd‐associated declines.
Lethal and sublethal effects of pathogens should theoretically select for host avoidance of these pathogenic organisms. Some amphibians can learn to avoid the pathogenic fungus Here, we investigated whether four taxonomically distinct amphibians, Cuban tree frogs Cuban tree frogs, pine woods tree frogs and greenhouse frogs did not appear to exhibit detectable innate or learned avoidance of Bd. However, southern toads learned to avoid Bd after only one exposure. Southern toads avoided any treatment containing Bd metabolites but did not avoid treatments that lacked Bd metabolites even when dead zoospores were present. Bd metabolites appeared to be the cues that amphibians use to avoid Bd. These metabolites may have a distinct smell or may cause discomfort, which would be consistent with a classical or Pavlovian conditioning response.
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10446337
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Applied Ecology
- Volume:
- 58
- Issue:
- 8
- ISSN:
- 0021-8901
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 1613-1620
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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