Amphibian communities collapse in wake of viral outbreak
Thursday, October 16, 2014 - 11:01
in Biology & Nature
Two closely related viruses that have been introduced to northern Spain in recent years have already led to the collapse of three different species of amphibian—the common midwife toad, the common toad, and the alpine newt—in the protected area of Picos de Europa (literally "Peaks of Europe") National Park. In all, six amphibian species have suffered from severe disease and mass mortality as a result of the outbreak, and researchers who report their findings in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on October 16 say that the viruses appear to be on the move.