title: Causes of mortality in anuran amphibians from an ex situ survival assurance colony in Panama.
abstract: The success of ex situ survival assurance populations as tools for amphibian conservation depends on the health and reproductive success of founder populations. Necropsy examination and histopathology of animals that die in assurance populations are useful for the identification of population-limiting disease problems and can help to direct applied research efforts in areas such as amphibian husbandry and nutrition. This study reviewed postmortem findings in 167 frogs from 13 species that died in a large Panamanian rescue and survival assurance population between 2006 and 2011. Common problems identified in long-term captive animals, especially in Atelopus species, were epithelial squamous metaplasia suggestive of vitamin A deficiency and a polycystic nephropathy resembling lesions seen in laboratory animals with electrolyte imbalances. Metabolic bone disease was a significant contributor to morbidity in captive-bred juvenile frogs of Gastrotheca cornuta, Hemiphractus fasciatus, and Hylomantis lemur. Findings common to multiple species included poor overall nutritional condition that was sometimes attributable to maladaptation to captive husbandry and epidermal hyperplasia and hyperkeratosis possibly reflecting environmental skin irritation. Infectious diseases and endoparasitism were most common in recently captured animals and included chytridiomycosis and Rhabdias sp. lungworms. Applied research efforts to improve sustainability of survival assurance populations should focus on elucidating optimal husbandry practices for diverse species, improving methods for nutritional supplementation of cultured insects and examination of the role of water composition in disease development.
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Disease Laboratories, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, California.
authors.forename: Allan P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Pessier
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Baitchman
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Crump
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Edgardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D001001:Anura; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008679:Metaplasia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009026:Mortality; D010176:Panama / Q000453:epidemiology; D007690:Polycystic Kidney Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: Atelopus spp.; hypovitaminosis A; metabolic bone disease; parasites; pathology; polycystic kidney disease; skin disease