Commonly traded anurans are susceptible to the emerging fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans

Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), a deadly fungal pathogen of amphibians, can spread via animal trade. Bsal is an emerging pathogen and is not yet in North America, which is a global center for urodelan biodiversity. While Bsal was initially thought to only infect urodelans, anurans can also develop infections. Anurans are more commonly traded than urodelans and therefore could pose a greater risk of facilitating the spread of Bsal. Determining the susceptibility of commonly traded anuran species is important for estimating the risk anurans pose of spreading Bsal via trade. Here, we investigate Bsal susceptibility in four species of commonly traded anurans ( Litoria caerulea, Bombina orientalis, Hymenochirus spp., Kaloula pulchra ) via pathogen exposure experiments. We measured morbidity, mortality, and infection prevalence, intensity, and duration. Eight of ten L. caerulea and 8/11 Hymenochirus spp. developed Bsal infections, with infections persisting beyond 6 and 12 weeks, respectively. No mortality was attributable to Bsal, but we did observe reduced weight gain in L. caerulea . These findings expand understanding of Bsal susceptibility across species and highlight the role anurans may play as asymptomatic carriers. Expanding Bsal mitigation strategies to include anurans could help prevent the introduction of this dangerous pathogen into North America.