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Deadly amphibian disease reaches Montserrat

18^th March 2009

Scientists have now confirmed a deadly disease that is decimating amphibian populations globally has reached the last safe haven for the Critically Endangered mountain chicken frog, to devastating effect.

Montserrat, an island in the Eastern Caribbean and a British Overseas Territory, had remained clear of the fungus until now. However, recent reports by the Montserrat Department of Environment of a number of dead frogs had prompted fears chytrid fungus had finally reached the island.

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has been working in Montserrat since the early 1990’s to support the Montserrat government in the protection of its biodiversity. The mountain chicken has been an important species and Durrell holds the largest safety net population at its headquarters in Jersey.
On hearing of the dead frogs, Durrell immediately dispatched its senior vet and herpetologist to support the Montserrat Department of Environment to develop bio-security protocols for handling dead or potentially infected animals, survey the frog’s habitat for evidence of the spread of the disease and collect samples to confirm the diagnosis as chytrid.

Now tests on these samples, carried out in the nearby island of Dominica supported by Zoological Society of London, have confirmed that the disease is chytridomycosis.

This giant frog, once common across six islands, can now only be found on Dominica and Montserrat. In 2002 chytrid fungus hit the Dominican population wiping out the vast majority of mountain chickens found there. This left the Montserrat population as the only global stronghold for this species but still very vulnerable to this quick spreading disease.

The mountain chicken (Leptodactylus fallax) is also threatened by a high volume of invasive species to the island such as rats, as well as the affects of Montserrat’s active volcano that erupted in 1995 causing widespread devastation. The uncontrolled hunting for food, hence the frog’s unusual name, has also had a big impact on the mountain chickens numbers.

John Fa, Director of Science at Durrell said, “We have a major commitment to this species and biodiversity on the island. Now that chytrid is there, this is a major setback and, if evidence from other isolated populations is anything to go on, we have to act very fast indeed.”

Durrell’s Head of Herpetology, Gerardo Garcia and the Trust’s Veterinary Department Head, Javier Lopez, have worked with the species for a number of years, both in Jersey and in Montserrat. Whilst in Montserrat, the two worked with Department of Forestry staff to survey a number of the known areas for mountain chickens around the island. They found only one area that at the moment seems unaffected by the disease. Thankfully this is an area with a high number of mountain chickens, but given the rapid spread of the disease it can only be a matter of weeks before this final population is also afflicted.

In response to this situation, Durrell is launching an emergency plan with the Government of Montserrat to rescue healthy frogs and put in place longer treatment and management plans for the protection of the species. As an immediate first step, all healthy frogs will be taken out of the habitat and placed in captive collections to ensure that even a small remnant of the wild population survives. There they can be monitored to see if the disease develops and then treated. In time we can combine these frogs with the existing captive population to initiate reintroductions back to the wild or chytrid-free areas.

Durrell’s Director of Conservation Management, Quentin Bloxam said, “Durrell has managed and bred a population of mountain chickens for the last 14 years at its headquarters in Jersey. Now that chytrid fungus has spread to Montserrat, these precious captive populations will play a crucial part in protecting this species from extinction.”

The Montserrat government has issued a warning to stay out of the affected area in the Centre Hills for the next month, to avoid spreading the disease. They have also asked people to report sightings of any dead or sick mountain chickens, but not to touch or approach them. Despite the affect this disease has on amphibians, there is no risk to humans.

 

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