Many amphibian species have declined throughout their ranges, and often the causes of those declines are poorly understood . Large-scale amphibian declines were first observed in the 1970s, and in the following decades, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) infection was determined as the cause of some of these declines . Retrospective studies allow us to evaluate historical disease patterns and are particularly valuable in species that are extirpated or extinct. The Black-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus meridionalis; Salamandridae) is an understudied species of salamander native to south Texas, USA, and northeastern Mexico that has shown alarming population declines over the past 70 years, most notably prior to 1980. Notophthalmus meridionalis has disappeared from the northern part of its range in recent decades. Multiple factors have likely contributed to its decline, including habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and pesticide use. In the past century, the majority of native habitat in south Texas has been cleared for agriculture, urbanization, and roads, leaving small patches of fragmented habitat remaining across the species’ historical northern range. However, declines in N. meridionalis have also been observed in protected areas not affected by habitat loss and degradation. The reason for their disappearance from these areas is unknown, raising the question of whether Bd infections were contributing to their decline. Here, we assayed 314 N. meridionalis museum specimens to determine whether the historical presence of Bd may have contributed to population declines in this species.