As part of a collaborative effort with the Siler Lab at the University of Oklahoma, I have been involved in efforts to help screen amphibian skin swabs for the pathogenic fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). This manuscript presents the results of pathogen surveys conducted during 2015 in eight counties in southeastern Oklahoma. Overall Bd prevalence was 64.8% and all families swabbed and 15 (of the 18) species of amphibians had individuals that were Bd+. Given the high Bd prevalence and widespread occurrence of Bd across species and sites, this pathogen has the potential to have profound negative impacts on native Oklahoma amphibians.

Marhanka EC*, Watters JL, Huron NA, McMillin SL*, Winfrey CC*, Curtis DJ, Davis DR, Farkas JK, Kerby JL, Siler CD. 2017. Detection of high prevalence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in amphibians from southern Oklahoma, USA. Herpetological Review 48:70–74. [PDF]