2026-10-10T20:44:22Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33187725 2026-09-30T05:29:38Z category_24214 portal_959 item_type_8 month_year_09_2026

Exploiting frog behaviour to fight the chytrid pandemic Madeleine Louise Holmes (24515297) Behavioural ecology Chytridiomycosis Amphibian chytrid Wildlife disease Behavioural thermoregulation Conservation ecology Disease mitigation Antifungal treatment Host resilience Artificial thermal refugia Ecological trap <p dir="ltr">Emerging infectious diseases pose a major threat to wildlife worldwide, with chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungal pathogen <i>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</i> (<i>Bd</i>), driving severe population declines and extinctions in amphibians. In Australia, <i>Bd </i>remains widespread and continues to impact frog populations, particularly in cooler environments. As eradication of the pathogen from the environment is not feasible, conservation strategies increasingly aim to improve host persistence in the presence of infection rather than eliminate the pathogen entirely. In this thesis, I evaluate several intervention strategies proposed to manage chytridiomycosis, with a focus on their long-term effectiveness, safety, and biological realism. First, I assessed the reliability of heat-based treatments using extended thermal exposure protocols. Frogs that initially tested negative for <i>Bd </i>following treatment were later unexpectedly found to carry infection after returning to cooler conditions, indicating that heat exposure may suppress rather than eliminate the pathogen. My findings demonstrate that apparent treatment success may be temporary and highlight the importance of long-term monitoring when evaluating disease interventions. Second, I investigated a widely available veterinary disinfectant as a potential antifungal treatment. While this treatment was highly effective at clearing <i>Bd </i>infections, it was associated with substantial adverse effects, including physiological stress, skin damage, and mortality, particularly when frogs were treated in groups. My results show that high antifungal efficacy can come at significant welfare costs, and that treatment delivery methods critically influence outcomes. Finally, I explored an alternative approach that is based on environmental modification rather than direct treatment. I deployed artificial solar-heated “hotspot” shelters across multiple Australian regions to assess the viability of shelters in different climates. Although these shelters consistently altered local thermal conditions, their performance varied with regional climate, solar exposure, and placement. Rather than acting as a curative intervention, hotspot shelters may support host resilience by facilitating behavioural thermoregulation. Overall, I argue that chytridiomycosis management cannot rely on a single universal solution. Interventions that rapidly reduce fungal burden may be short-lived or carry substantial welfare risks, whereas lower-intensity, behaviourally mediated approaches may offer more sustainable benefits under appropriate environmental conditions. This thesis emphasises the need to evaluate disease interventions based on long-term host outcomes rather than short-term pathogen suppression.</p> 2026-09-30T05:29:38Z Text Thesis 10.25949/33187725.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Exploiting_frog_behaviour_to_fight_the_chytrid_pandemic/33187725 In Copyright