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Amphibian Health and Disease

Amphibian diseases in amphibians in the UK:

If there is no evidence that predators or harsh environmental conditions are responsible for amphibian deaths in your garden then it is possible they may have an infectious disease. 

Like all animals, amphibians suffer from infections as part of their normal lifecycles. A wide range of potential pathogens has been found in or on UK amphibians, including bacteria, protozoa, viruses, nematodes and leeches. 

Some pathogens have no discernable impacts, some lead to poor body condition, and some can cause mortality. The main concern is when there are repeated mass mortalities, as this may threaten a population. This is more likely to occur with some diseases introduced from abroad, as native amphibians may lack immunity to novel pathogens.

  • Ranavirus: the most common amphibian disease in the UK is ranavirus disease, often called "red-leg". It appears to occur mostly in the south and southeast England, with scattered cases elsewhere.  

  • Chytridiomycosis: another disease of interest is chytridiomycosis. This particularly alarming disease seems to have played a large part in many tropical amphibian declines and was found in a non-native species of amphibian in the UK in 2004. 

HELP OUT: During the summer months of 2008 Froglife is appealing for specimens of amphibians which have died for any reason - disease or otherwise.  If you are willing to help out (this will mean storing dead amphibians in your freezer) please get in touch for more information.

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