Body condition, skin bacterial communities and disease status: insights from the first release trial of the limosa harlequin frog, Atelopus limosus.

ABSTRACT: Many endangered amphibian species survive in captive breeding facilities, but there have been few attempts to reintroduce captive-born individuals to rebuild wild populations. We conducted a soft-release trial of limosa harlequin frogs, Atelopus limosus, which are highly susceptible to the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), to understand changes associated with the transition from captivity to the wild. Specifically, we assessed changes in body condition, skin-associated bacterial communities and disease status after release. Frogs were housed individually in field mesocosms and monitored for 27 days. Body condition did not significantly change in the mesocosms, and was similar to, or higher than, that of wild conspecifics at day 27. The skin bacter

SUBMITTER: Estrada A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9277274 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature