Diseases of Amphibians and Reptiles

Abstract

The development and refinement of amphibian medicine comprise an ongoing science that reflects the unique life history of these animals and our growing knowledge of amphibian diseases. Amphibians are notoriously fastidious in terms of captive care requirements, and the majority of diseases of amphibians maintained in captivity will relate directly or indirectly to husbandry and management. Inves- tigators have described many infectious and noninfectious diseases that occur among various species of captive and wild amphibians, and there is considerable overlap in the diseases of captive versus free-ranging populations. In this article, some of the more commonly reported infectious and noninfectious diseases as well as their etiological agents and causative factors are reviewed. Some of the more common amphibian diseases with bacterial etiologies include bacte- rial dermatosepticemia or “red leg syndrome,” flavobacte- riosis, mycobacteriosis, and chlamydiosis. The most common viral diseases of amphibians are caused by the ranaviruses, which have an impact on many species of an- urans and caudates. Mycotic and mycotic-like organisms cause a number of diseases among amphibians, including chytridiomycosis, zygomycoses, chromomycoses, saproleg- niasis, and ichthyophoniasis. Protozoan parasites of am- phibians include a variety of amoeba, ciliates, flagellates, and sporozoans Common metazoan parasites include vari- ous myxozoans, helminths (particularly trematodes and nematodes), and arthropods. Commonly encountered non- infectious disease etiologies for amphibians include neopla- sia, absolute or specific nutritional deficiencies or overloads, chemical toxicities, and inadequate husbandry or environmental management. Key