US Salamander Hotspot Could Fall to New Disease

[Frog News]

Yahoo News (USA) October 30th, 2014 01:25 PM: US Salamander Hotspot Could Fall to New Disease

A newly described fungal disease is killing salamanders and newts in Europe and could soon land on U.S. The disease invades the skin of salamanders and newts, and is related to another fungus that has been wiping out frog and other amphibian populations around the world. "If it gets here, it's going to be really bad," said Karen Lips, a biologist at the University of Maryland who participated in the new research. That's because the United States is home to the world hotspot of salamander diversity: More species of salamander live in the southern Appalachian Mountains than anywhere else on the planet, according to the North Carolina-based Highlands Biological Station.


Full Article