Rhabdias bufonis (lungworm) from one of the amphibians analysed (Garden Wildife Health Project)
Whilst the majority of our screening was conducted via swabs of live amphibians (see previous post!), we also asked our pond volunteers to be on the lookout for unusual amphibian mortalities in their gardens. Carcasses were then collected for full post mortems to be conducted to determine their cause of death. Vets based at the Zoological Society London (ZSL) conducted these post mortems as part of the Garden Wildlife Health Project. Perhaps one of the most unusual moments of this project was the transporting of a large box of frog carcasses in a cool box on the train from Cornwall to London and then across the city to London Zoo – thankfully no-one asked what was inside the box in transit!
The Garden Wildlife Health project, as mentioned in our previous post, monitors wildlife diseases in the UK. Around thirty carcasses were analysed by these vets; many were thought to have been mating related deaths from drowning, though a couple were found to have extreme numbers of parasites. None of the carcasses tested positive for ranavirus or chytrid fungus suggesting low levels in the county, though further screening is needed in the summer to confirm this!
The Garden Wildlife Health project, as mentioned in our previous post, monitors wildlife diseases in the UK. Around thirty carcasses were analysed by these vets; many were thought to have been mating related deaths from drowning, though a couple were found to have extreme numbers of parasites. None of the carcasses tested positive for ranavirus or chytrid fungus suggesting low levels in the county, though further screening is needed in the summer to confirm this!