Sick Hops: How Infection Boosts Jumping Ability in a Threatened Frog Species

ABSTRACT Infection with a pathogen can trigger a range of physiological changes in the host, often with immediate and noticeable effects. In frogs, early infection with the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ( Bd ) can cause a variety of physiological changes, from mild disturbances such as increased skin shedding and lethargy to more severe disruptions to osmotic regulation and thermal tolerance. We examined how sublethal Bd infection influences critical thermal limits and jumping performance in a threatened alpine frog, Litoria verreauxii alpina , as these survival‐critical traits are often compromised early in infection. We assessed critical thermal minimum, critical thermal maximum, and jumping distance for 6 weeks on unexposed and Bd‐infected individuals. Critical thermal temperatures were found to be similar between unexposed and infected individuals, with an average critical thermal range from −3.5°C to 36.4°C. By Week 6 of the infection experiment, infected frogs exhibited a 23% increase in jumping distance compared to their unexposed counterparts. Our findings reveal that L. v. alpina exhibit a remarkable ability to sustain thermal tolerance and enhance locomotor performance during sublethal Bd infection. This response highlights complex physiological shifts in amphibians under pathogen stress and underscores the importance of further investigating Bd ′s host‐specific effects to inform successful conservation strategies.