FIELDWORK SEASON HAS STARTED

For a herpetologist, there is no better season than spring: not only are sunny days back, but amphibians are coming out to the ponds to mate. This means fieldwork can begin! This year, we are screening different sites to test for the presence of the pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, and to collect DNA from great crested newts (Triturus cristatus) through a non-invasive swabbing method. We also weight the animals and measure their length, and we photograph their belly-patterns: the arrangements of the black-dots on the belly of crested newts allows to identify them across time, just like a fingerprint! The results from this fieldwork will deepen our understanding of disease dynamics in the wild, which is fundamental to improve amphibian conservation.

Learn more about this line of research on the project's website!