Replace, reduce, refine: A review of animal use in <i>Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans</i> research

Abstract Animal experimentation is common in wildlife disease research. Understanding the impact of this often‐lethal approach is therefore a critical line of inquiry at the intersection of animal welfare and conservation biology. The discovery of the pathogenic salamander chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans ( Bsal ) in 2013 ignited a large amount of research through experimentation and field swabbing to study the impacts of this deadly pathogen, assess its spread in parts of the world where it was present, and initiate surveillance where it was not. About a decade later, the progression and directions of Bsal research can be more clearly analyzed. We gathered information from studies involving animal use in Bsal ‐related experimentation and surveillance studies. This comprehensive review of Bsal animal research has illuminated several methodological and geographic trends. We found that Notophthalmus viridescens and Salamandra salamandra are frequently used in Bsal experimentation, with experimentation in the United States strongly focusing on the use of wild caught N. viridescens . We also observed a non‐negligible level of experimentation on animals that are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. We recommend that applying the framework of “replace, reduce, and refine” could mitigate the impacts of Bsal experimentation on live animals. Moreover, documenting where studies have taken place and how animals are being used in Bsal research brings awareness to the potential impacts of these methods and invites reflexivity for planning future lines of investigation.