Undergraduate student Carisa Lynch and Honors student Jesus Diaz were awarded the $500 Biology OURI Research Award in support of their research -- congratulations! Carisa is examining decadal changes in acoustic characteristics in a tropical frog community. Jesus is investigating anti-microbial skin peptides of direct-developing frogs.
 Amber, Gabriel and Sergio presented today at the QBIC Undergraduate Research Symposium, with the talk titled "DNA barcoding for the identification of Corethrellidae". Congrats!
 A new lab collaboration led by graduate student Jessa Aretz at the University of South Florida appeared today in The Journal of Thermal Biology. Tadpoles, like all amphibians, are especially vulnerable to rising global temperatures, as their physiological processes are directly influenced by their environment. The study with the pinewoods tree frog (Dryophytes femoralis) in Central Florida sought to understand how these tadpoles respond to warmer conditions. Jessa conducted common garden experiments with tadpoles reared in temperatures mimicking rural, suburban, and urban ponds. Her findings suggest that while these tadpoles do exhibit some adaptability to warming temperatures, their ability to cope may have limits. This research highlights the critical role of phenotypic plasticity, or the ability of an organism to adjust to its environment, in the face of climate change and urbanization. The study also emphasized that variations in the tadpoles' traits were often better explained by maternal effects rather than the experimental rearing temperature, suggesting that the mother's characteristics have a significant influence on her offspring's thermal ecology and swimming performance.  Tadpoles raised in warmer conditions had a higher critical thermal maximum and a wider thermal safety margin, meaning they tolerated higher temperatures before their physiological functions failed. However, the researchers also found that the tadpoles' thermal preference was a fixed trait and did not change with rearing temperature. While tadpoles showed a clear increase in swimming performance with higher temperatures, the relationship was complex and varied with their rearing temperature. These findings stress the need to conserve cooler habitats and better understand how specific amphibian species will respond to a warming environment. Overall, while tadpoles showed some ability to adjust their thermal limits, this may not be enough as warming ponds could soon exceed what tadpoles can tolerate. Citation: Aretz, J.M., D. Cassill, S.M. Deban, A. Catenazzi, A.M. Gainsbury. 2025. Thermal ecology and swimming performance of native tadpoles Dryophytes femoralis in Central Florida. Journal of Thermal Biology 104237.
 A new study published in Reptiles & Amphibians reports the first-ever sighting of the Black False Boa (Pseudoboa nigra) in Peru. This discovery extends the known range of the species, pushing it about 1,395 km northwest from its previously documented location in Mapinguari NP, Brazil. The Black False Boa had also been found in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina, and this recent finding adds Peru to the list. The genus Pseudoboa contains six recognized species. The Black False Boa is a snake that typically lives in forested areas and open-vegetation formations. They are known to inhabit diverse ecosystems, including the Amazon and Atlantic Forests, Caatinga, Cerrado, and Chaco. Their diet consists mainly of lizards, but they also eat lizard eggs, small mammals, and frogs.  Researchers found two individuals—a juvenile male and an adult female—in agricultural zones near the city of Tarapoto in Peru. The snakes were found at night, moving in areas with rice fields and secondary vegetation. The habitat is described as part of the seasonally dry forest of the Huallaga. Although farming has fragmented the forest in this area, some native vegetation still exists. The discovery was confirmed through both physical characteristics and genetic sequencing. The specimens are now part of the herpetological collection at the Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad (CORBIDI) in Lima, Peru. This new record of the Black False Boa in Peru shows that there is still much to learn about the distribution and behavior of species, even in well-studied areas. The researchers recommend more surveys to gather additional data on the snake's population status and ecology in Peru. Citation: García-Ayachi, L.A., S.A. Ramírez-Castillo, D. Deza, V. Flores, A. Catenazzi, P.J. Venegas. 2025. First record of Pseudoboa nigra (Duméril, Bibron &Amp; Duméril, 1854) (Squamata: Colubridae) in Peru. Reptiles & Amphibians 32: e23302.
 Astrid Lisondro has joined the lab with a Fulbright Fellowship and will pursue her master's degree. She holds a bachelor's degree from the Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí in Panama. Her professional experience includes collaborations on various herpetology projects. For her undergraduate thesis, Astrid conducted research on the thermal ecology of a terrestrial frog on Escudo de Veraguas, a small Caribbean island in Panama. She also completed an internship and volunteered at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, where she focused on the behavior, development, and physiology of amphibian embryos. Astrid is motivated to continue her studies in amphibian biology and other ecological systems. In addition to her research, she is passionate about wildlife photography, which she sees as a powerful tool for raising awareness and giving visibility to biodiversity. Welcome Astrid!
Several lab members presented during the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists in Minnesota, USA. Isabel and Gustavo presented invited talks during the Symposium, Thriving in a Changing World: Host-Pathogen Dynamics in Hyperdiverse Communities of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR), co-organized by Rayna Bell, Gui Becker, and Alessandro.  Isabel presented her talk Environmental Factors Influencing Bd Prevalence in a Terrestrial Frog Community of a Montane Forest in Peru.  Gustavo gave a talk during the symposium, titled Amphibian Population Status Across an Altitudinal Gradient in Southwestern Guatemala: Insights from the San Marcos Transect. In addition, he also gave a poster during a regular session, Bromeligenous Amphibians in Suboptimal Habitats: A Case Study of Phyllodytes gyrinaethes and its Environmental Interactions. Jon also contributed a poster on his snake fungal disease research with the title Elucidating the Role of Shed Skins in the Persistence of Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola in Soil. Congrats everyone!   A new lab collaboration led by German Chavez and colleagues at the Instituto Peruano de Herpetologia described three new species of terrestrial-breeding frogs of the genus Pristimantis from the highlands of the Cordillera de Huancabamba, northwestern Peru. The three new species, Pristimantis chinguelas, P. nunezcortezi, and P. yonke (in the photo by G. Chavez) were distinguished based on a combination of morphological characteristics and genetic differences. These newly described species inhabit the remote páramos and adjacent elfin forests of the Peruvian Andes, a region known for its rugged topography and challenging weather. Each species has unique physical traits that differentiate it from similar frogs, such as variations in snout shape, skin texture, and color patterns.  The discovery highlights the Cordillera de Huancabamba as a key biodiversity hotspot, with nearly 50% of the amphibian species previously recorded there being endemic. The paper emphasizes the importance of using an integrative approach, combining genetic and morphological studies, to accurately classify these complex and diverse frogs. Despite the evident habitat loss in the area, especially of cloud forests as the type locality of P. yonke (inset photo, G. Chavez), the researchers suggest that all three species should be placed in the Data Deficient category of the IUCN Red List due to a lack of sufficient data to assess their conservation status. This discovery reinforces the idea that much of this mountainous region remains unexplored, holding the potential for many more unique amphibian species to be found. Citation: Chávez, G., W. Aznaran, I. Wong, K. Victoriano-Cigüeñas, L. A. García-Ayachi, J. D. Valencia-Málaga, J. Ormeño, M. Gulman, R. Sumiano-Mejía, M. E. Thompson, and A. Catenazzi. 2025. Over the top: Three new species of terrestrial breeding frogs (Anura, Terrarana, Pristimantis) from the highlands of the Cordillera de Huancabamba, northwestern Peru. 2025. Evolutionary Systematics 91: 145-166.
A recent lab collaboration on pumpkin toadlets in Brazil's Atlantic Forest revealed a surprising and complex relationship between drought and a deadly waterborne fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). While a short-term, experimental drought directly suppressed the fungus's overall load on the toadlets, it also intensified its transmission. This paradoxical effect occurred because the dry conditions caused the toadlets to congregate in and around remaining water sources, increasing the opportunity for the pathogen to spread from one host to another.  Furthermore, the study led by PhD student Shannon Buttimer from the lab of Gui Becker, found that the drought negatively impacted the toadlets' skin microbiome, a crucial part of their defense against pathogens. The skin of the drought-affected toadlets had a lower proportion of bacteria known to inhibit the Bd fungus, which may have made them more susceptible to infection. These findings highlight a critical point: climate change can affect wildlife health not just through simple cause-and-effect, but through a complex chain of events that alters animal behavior and disrupts their natural defenses, ultimately increasing the risk of disease. Citation: Buttimer, S., D. Medina, R.A. Martins, A.G. Morais da Silva, W.J. Neely, C.F.B. Haddad, G.V. DiRenzo, A. Catenazzi, R.C. Bell, C.G. Becker. 2025. Experimental drought suppresses amphibian pathogen yet intensifies transmission and disrupts protective skin microbiome. Global Change Biology 31: e70275.
 One of Rachel's dissertation chapters was published today in the journal Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Carotenoids, which are vibrant pigments acquired through diet, provide health benefits and are crucial for reproductive success in some animals. The fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) causes a disease called chytridiomycosis that infects the skin of amphibians, disrupts their regulatory processes, and can lead to death. Rachel hypothesized that the energy needed to fight a Bd infection would lead to a depletion of skin carotenoids in strawberry poison frogs (Oophaga pumilio). She predicted that an energetic or immunological trade-off would force the frogs to prioritize fighting the infection over sequestering these colorful pigments. However, the study's findings challenged this prediction, showing that the frogs were able to maintain their skin carotenoids even while infected. To investigate this, Rachel infected a group of adult male and female strawberry poison frogs with Bd and compared their skin carotenoid concentrations to a mock-infected control group. All frogs were given a consistent, carotenoid-rich diet for six months before the experiment to ensure they had high levels of these pigments. Using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), they measured the types and concentrations of 17 different skin carotenoids. The infected frogs developed a range of infection loads, from around 1.0×101 to over 1.0×107 zoospore equivalents. However, statistical analysis showed no difference in skin carotenoid concentrations between the infected and control frogs, regardless of the sex of the animal. The results suggest that in captive O. pumilio with abundant dietary carotenoids, Bd infection is not a sufficient stressor to alter their ability to sequester skin carotenoids. This might be due to the availability of sufficient energy to combat the infection while also maintaining skin carotenoids. The importance of skin carotenoids for ecological processes, such as mate choice, may outweigh the pressure from the Bd infection, leading the frogs to prioritize maintaining these pigments. Citation: Prokopius, R., K. McGraw, and A. Catenazzi. 2025. Fungal disease does not affect skin carotenoid concentration in dietary-supplemented strawberry poison frogs. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B 279: 111113
 A team of lab collaborators has announced the discovery of a new species of lizard, Liolaemus misti, in the volcanic chain surrounding Arequipa, Peru. The remarkable find, published in the German Journal of Herpetology, Salamandra, highlights the unique biodiversity of the Andean highlands. The new species is notable for its presence at elevations up to 5400 meters , representing the highest altitude record for any living squamate. Liolaemus misti, named in honor of the iconic Misti volcano that dominates the Arequipa landscape, belongs to the Liolaemus walkeri clade. The species was identified based on detailed morphological, meristic (scale counts), and coloration analyses, distinguishing it from other closely related lizards in the region. "The discovery of Liolaemus misti underscores the incredible, yet often overlooked, biodiversity that can be found in high-altitude environments," said Dr. Roy Santa-Cruz, lead author of the study from the Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa. "These animals are living on the edge of what's possible, and understanding them helps us appreciate the resilience of life." The newly described lizard is characterized by its small size (less than 50 mm snout-vent length), a pigmented subocular scale, a generally absent or highly fragmented vertebral line, smooth or slightly keeled scales on the dorsal side of its thighs, and the absence of precloacal pores in both males and females. Many individuals also exhibit partial or total ventral melanism (dark pigmentation on the belly). The type locality for Liolaemus misti is Simbral, in the district of Chiguata, Department of Arequipa, at an elevation of 4185 meters. However, the species has been recorded at elevations ranging from 3730 to an astounding 5400 meters. This upper limit surpasses previous records for squamate reptiles, demonstrating an extraordinary adaptation to harsh, high-montane conditions. Citation: Santa Cruz, R., A. Canzas-Teran, R. Bejarano, E. Lopez, A. Morales, R. von May, A. Catenazzi, C. Aguilar-Puntriano. 2025. A new species of the Liolaemus walkeri clade (Squamata: Liolaemidae) in the volcanic chain of Arequipa, Peru. Salamandra 61: 115-131.
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