Testing of Fire Salamanders around Salzburg for Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans within a school project

Abstract

Amphibians are declining worldwide. Recently an alarmingly steep decline in abundances of Fire Salamanders was reported in the Netherlands. In 2013 a unique fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, was isolated and shown to be responsible for the observed mortality in the Fire Salamander populations. In a project funded by the relevant Austrian ministry, we are cooperating with schools to study the distribution and encourage the protection of Alpine and Fire Salamanders. Consequently we decided to test some of the Fire Salamander populations around Salzburg for the presence of B. salamandrivorans within the framework of this project. In addition, we involved the school children in collecting samples in order to introduce them to a current topic and to sensitize them to issues of amphibian protection. Of the 58 skin samples of Fire Salamanders from 8 different locations collected in autumn 2013, none tested positive for the presence of B. salamandrivorans. These results suggest that there is no evidence for infected Fire Salamanders in the study areas around Salzburg.