Evidence: Pet amphibian (anuran) husbandry, health & nutrition
Source: Europe PMC (Europe PubMed Central) REST search — first-hand peer-reviewed abstract records, pulled 2026-08-01. Queries covered husbandry, health/disease/parasitology, and nutrition/feeding for anuran. The cluster returns 12 representative studies with abstracts below. Abstract text is verbatim from source; each study is traceable by PMID.
Studies
- PMID 42484127 (2026, Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias) — Responses of anuran assemblages to the urban-rural gradients in a high biodiversity tropical region.. Abstract (opening): The responses of biodiversity to urban gradients are poorly characterized in tropical cities. We investigated the taxonomic structure of anuran assemblages along the urban-rural gradients in Tabatinga, an Amazonian city in a region with the highest amphibian diversity in the world. We carried out quantitative censuses of anurans in transects distributed in urban, peri-urban, rural and minimally disturbed forests. We sampled 2,841 individuals belonging to 51 anuran species. Rural and peri-urban habitats showed similar species richness, and both are richer than urban habitats. Species abundance distribution in urban transects was more strongly dominated by fewer species than peri-urban, rural and terra-firme forest habitats. Species composition was similar between urban, peri-urban, and rural habitats, with the anuran assemblages displaying a nested arrangement in the species distribution. Anuran alpha diversity was positively affected by distance from a major river and the amount of green area around transects. In contrast, the alpha diversity of anuran species is negatively influenced by increasing the number of utility poles. Studies around the world suggest that urban habitats in cities may harbor a diverse fauna of anurans. The maintenance of urban protected areas by municipal governments may be relevant for the conservation of amphibians in the Amazon.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42484127/
- PMID 42117820 (2026, Biology) — Leech Diversity in the Maghreb (North Africa): A Checklist and a Case Report of Parasitism on a Berber Toad (<i>Sclerophys mauritanica</i>) in Algeria.. Abstract (opening): Leeches (Hirudinea) are ecologically important annelids that interact with a wide range of aquatic vertebrates, yet their diversity, distribution, and epidemiological relevance remain poorly documented in North Africa. Here, we provide a comprehensive synthesis of freshwater and marine leech species reported from the Maghreb (Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco), based on an extensive review of the available literature. In total, 21 species belonging to 13 genera and four families (Glossiphoniidae, Erpobdellidae, Hirudinidae, and Piscicolidae) are documented, with updated information on their ecology, host associations, and geographic distribution. In addition to this regional checklist, we report the first confirmed case of <i>Batracobdella algira</i> heavy parasitism on the Berber toad (<i>Sclerophrys mauritanica</i>) in Algeria. A single adult toad was found heavily infested by multiple leeches (<i>n</i> = 17), some of which bore spermatophores attached near the reproductive opercula, suggesting possible in situ mating behavior on the host. The high infestation observed in this single specimen may constitute an outlier, requiring further sampling to assess the effect of leeches on the anuran population in the region. By integrating faunistic data with a novel field observation, this study highlights the overlooked leech biodiversity in the Maghreb and suggests their possible ecological and epidemiological significance. Our findings emphasize the need for further investigations into leech-host interactions, pathogen carriage, and their implications for amphibian conservation and One Health in North Africa.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42117820/
- PMID 42295045 (2026, Cladistics : the international journal of the Willi Hennig Society) — Phylogenomics and the evolutionary history of the Oxyurida (pinworms).. Abstract (opening): Pinworms (Nematoda: Oxyurida) are among the first documented zooparasitic nematodes, and some species are of veterinary, medical, and economic importance. However, the basic molecular phylogenetic framework for the Oxyurida is far from comprehensive, and the origin and early evolutionary history of the group remain little understood. In this study, phylogenomic analyses of the Oxyurida, involving the most comprehensive family-level taxon sampling of pinworms to date, were performed based on the universal single-copy orthologues and the mitochondrial protein-coding genes. Phylogenomic results yielded a highly resolved tree that confirmed the validity of the family Gyrinicolidae, suggested that the Heteroxynematidae is nested within the Oxyuridae and should be treated as a subfamily within the latter family (Heteroxynematinae status novus), and failed to support the separation of the subfamilies Oxyurinae and Syphaciinae. Using fossil-based time priors to calibrate both mitogenomic and genomic phylogenies, we establish the first comprehensive evolutionary timescale for pinworms. Our results place the most recent common ancestor of the Oxyurida in the late Devonian and further support the hypothesis that members of the vertebrate-parasitic Oxyuroidea initially parasitized reptiles and later extended their host range to mammals, and during this transition, opportunistically produced a highly specialized lineage infecting anuran tadpoles.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42295045/
- PMID 41524647 (2026, Integrative zoology) — Hemoparasites of the Four-Eyed Frog (Pleurodema thaul) from Chile.. Abstract (opening): Amphibians host a diverse array of macro and microparasites, and these relationships can provide relevant information for assessing and monitoring population and ecosystem health. The dynamics and outcomes of these host-parasite interactions are influenced by several biotic and abiotic factors, as well as by the characteristics of both the parasite and the host. This study aims to identify hemoparasites in Pleurodema thaul (four-eyed frog) (Leptodactylidae) across its extensive distribution in Chile and to explore potential relationships between parasite occurrence, host traits, and habitat variables. To achieve this, we surveyed P. thaul populations from 40 localities between the extreme north and south of Chile (22-43°S), in a latitudinal gradient of 2500 km. In each locality, individuals were actively searched along the margin of water bodies, manually captured, sexed, and measured using standard morphometric and biosecurity protocols. Blood samples were collected via facial vein puncture using needles and heparinized capillary tubes. Smears were prepared on-site, fixed with methanol, and stained with 10% Giemsa for subsequent microscopic analysis at 40× and 100× magnification. Hemoparasites were detected in 61% (221/363) of individuals, with three genera identified: the hemogregarines Hepatozoon sp. and Dactylosoma sp. (Adeleorina), with a prevalence of 7% and 39%, respectively, and the hemococcidium Lankesterella sp. (Eimeriorina), with 22%. The study describes the key characteristics of these parasites in both intra- and extracellular developmental stages. These findings contribute to the understanding of anuran hemoparasites by expanding knowledge on their distribution, morphological traits, and local and regional host-parasite interactions.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41524647/
- PMID 42126746 (2026, Acta parasitologica) — A New Species of Sphaerospora Thélohan, 1892 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea: Bivalvulida) From the Japanese Rice Frog Fejervarya kawamurai: The First East Asian Record of Anuran-Parasitic Sphaerosporids.. Abstract (opening): Myxosporean parasites have been identified in amphibians globally; however, in Japan, no amphibian-infecting myxosporeans have been formally recorded. Thus, in this study, 20 native Japanese frog species were surveyed to clarify the diversity of myxosporeans that infect amphibians. A survey of 102 anurans representing 20 species across six families collected in Japan revealed the presence of a myxosporean belonging to the genus Sphaerospora that parasitizes the kidneys of the Japanese rice frog, Fejervarya kawamurai. The myxosporean is described herein as a new species based on its distinct morphological characteristics and phylogenetic position. Spores are spherical to subspherical with an overall dimension of 11.1 (10.2-12.2) × 11.5 (9.3-14.0) µm. The polar capsules are spherical, with a diameter of 3.3 (2.5-4.3) µm. Typical spores possess a characteristic caudal appendage. This discovery is considered the first record of anuran-parasitic Sphaerospora in East Asia and the fifth global record of a frog-parasitic species in this genus. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial SSU rDNA sequences unequivocally placed the new species within a well-supported monophyletic clade of anuran-parasitic Sphaerospora, comprising taxa distributed across the Palaearctic (Asia and Europe), Afrotropical, Nearctic, and Neotropical realms.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42126746/
- PMID 42530601 (2026, Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology) — Timescales of call variability in a South American treefrog.. Abstract (opening): Communication systems shape behavioral interactions that are crucial for recognition, territoriality, and reproduction across animals. In many anuran species, acoustic communication drives reproductive and defensive behaviors as males produce advertisement calls to establish territories and attract females. Understanding the temporal dynamics in vocalizations and their variation between and within males can provide crucial insight into the mechanisms that generate call patterning and communication. Here, we examine such dynamics in the call patterning of male Boana pulchella, a South American treefrog species that produces temporally-variant call series over time. Using rhythm analysis, we quantify the rhythmic structure of these vocalizations and characterize the variability in their temporal patterning between males. We find that rhythmic isochrony is timescale-dependent - call series are produced isochronously while the patterning of calls and notes within these series is non-isochronous yet periodic. The isochronous rhythm is maintained through an inverse relationship between series duration and the silence interval that follows it, such that longer series are followed by shorter silence intervals. Temporal features of calls and notes as well as their variation vary depending on within-series patterning dynamics and across timescales. Taken together, these results suggest that B. pulchella vocal timing is generated by hierarchically organized oscillators that produce isochronous vocalizations over a calling bout through flexible modulation at finer timescales.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42530601/
- PMID 42015311 (2026, Parasites & vectors) — Culex territans mosquitoes as a vector of Giant Anuran Trypanosomes.. Abstract (opening): <h4>Background</h4>Amphibian populations are declining worldwide, in part due to diseases caused by viruses, fungi, andparasites. Giant Anuran Trypanosomes (GATs) are parasites that affect frogs worldwide and require a vector to betransmitted. Culex territans is an amphibian-feeding mosquito suspected to be a vector of trypanosomes, but this hasnot previously been confirmed.<h4>Methods</h4>In this study, we tested blood-fed Cx. territans and blood from their primary anuran hosts, Rana clamitans and R. catesbeiana, in southwest Virginia. Additionally, we tested potential routes of transmission from the mosquito tothe frog.<h4>Results</h4>We found trypanosomes present in both mosquitoes and anurans and found trypanosomes present in thefeces 2 days after being blood fed on infected frogs, as well as in the body and saliva 14 days post-feeding.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Overall, this study contributes to our knowledge of the GAT epidemiology and the role Cx. territans mightplay in their transmission.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42015311/
- PMID 42408518 (2026, Zootaxa) — <b>Advertisement calls of anuran amphibians from Itinguçu State Park-Peruíbe municipality, São Paulo state, Brazil</b>.. Abstract (opening): In anurans, acoustic communication is essential for reproduction, territorial defense, and social interactions. The advertisement call plays a central role in mate attraction and species recognition, making it a key trait in taxonomic and ecological studies. This study aims to review and update the acoustic features of the advertisement calls of seven species recorded within the Itinguçu State Park, located in the Atlantic Forest of São Paulo, Brazil. We compared our results to existing data available in literature. Recordings were made during fieldwork from April 2022 to February 2023, combining passive acoustic monitoring and active searches. Acoustic data were analyzed in the software Raven Pro 1.5. We reviewed calls from seven species distributed across four families: Bufonidae, Hylidae, Hylodidae and Phyllomedusidae. Our results include the definition of sound type for all species recorded, providing temporal and spectral parameters for each species. Most results aligned with existing data, although we report updates for the dominant frequency of <i>Hylodes dactylocinus</i>, and new information on the call duration and pulse number of <i>Scinax perereca</i>. Additionally, we compared the acoustic parameters obtained via passive and active sampling methods using principal component analysis (PCA). This study on acoustic data variation across different regions aids in taxonomic identification and ecological studies, as different behavioural and acoustic pressures exist in different localities.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42408518/
- PMID 42311595 (2026, Ecology and evolution) — Variations in Sexual Size Dimorphism in Two Anurans Along an Urbanization Gradient in Shanghai: Assessment of Rensch's Rule.. Abstract (opening): Variations in sexual size dimorphism (SSD) have important consequences for animal ecology, behavior, population dynamics, and the evolution of life-history traits, and can be explained by many intraspecific and interpopulation hypotheses. Urbanization is an important factor that affects anuran phenotypic characteristics (including morphology), but how it impacts anuran SSD has been explored less widely. In this study, we aimed to investigate the differences in SSD in two dominant amphibian species populations; that is, the Hong Kong rice-paddy frog (<i>Fejervarya multistriata</i>) and Beijing gold-striped pond frog (<i>Pelophylax plancyi</i>), across an urban-rural gradient in Shanghai (including urban, suburban, and rural areas). We also tested whether these variations in SSD supported Rensch's rule or not. Our results showed that in both sexes, the snout-vent length (SVL) in <i>F. multistriata</i> was higher in urban areas compared with suburban and rural areas. In addition, only male <i>P. plancyi</i> exhibited a higher SVL in urban areas compared with those in rural areas. Furthermore, we found that the SSD in SVL was significantly higher for urban populations than suburban and rural populations of <i>F. multistriata</i>. All SSD results in terms of SVL, head width, forelimb length, and hindlimb length in these two frog species supported the inverse Rensch's rule based on reduced major axis regression. Moreover, the size scaling rates in these two frog species were higher in urban and suburban populations than rural populations. Thus, we concluded that urbanization shapes SSD in these two anurans according to the inverse of Rensch's rule, and that variations in morphological characteristics, SSD, and size scaling rates differed between these two anuran species regarded as an "urban-associated species" (<i>P. plancyi</i>) and "urban-sensitive species" (<i>F. multistriata</i>).
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42311595/
- PMID 41844436 (2026, The Science of the total environment) — Ecoacoustics tools reveal effects of human-caused wildfires on anuran communities of the Yungas Andean Forest.. Abstract (opening): Wildfires significantly impact biodiversity, yet their effects on acoustic communities and soundscapes more generally are still not fully comprehended. This study employs passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) and ecoacoustics tools to assess the impact of human-caused wildfires on the anuran communities and the soundscape composition in the premontane strata of the Yungas Andean forests of Argentina. We deployed nine automated recording units across burned, semi-burned, and non-burned forest sites. We assessed anuran species richness by manual annotations from the recordings and analyzed the soundscape diversity and composition using Operational Sound Units and Hill-based soundscape diversity indices. Non-burned forest sites exhibited significantly higher anuran species richness compared to fire-affected sites. In addition, soundscape diversity was reduced in fire-affected sites, with non-burned forests retaining high-frequency biophony, unlike burned forests dominated by low-frequency sounds. Principal coordinate analysis revealed differences in soundscape composition among acoustic communities, with burned and semi-burned sites clustering separately from non-burned sites. Daily sound patterns showed dramatic changes in burned areas, indicating disrupted ecological acoustic niches. Our findings show that wildfires significantly alter both the anuran diversity and soundscapes composition, particularly affecting habitat-specialist species like treefrogs. Ecoacoustic tools effectively captured imminent post-fire soundscape changes, highlighting their utility for monitoring impacts on biodiversity. These results underscore the need for integrated wildfire prevention programmes aiming to conserve acoustic communities and soundscapes in threatened ecosystems. Long-term PAM is recommended to track post-fire biodiversity recovery and to evaluate conservation actions in the Yungas forests and other fire-prone landscapes.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41844436/
- PMID 41766740 (2026, Ecology and evolution) — A Review of the Scale and Sustainability of the Consumption and Trade of Anuran Species in Africa.. Abstract (opening): Within Africa, collection and trade of anurans is often recorded as single-site case studies, making it difficult to accurately understand the scale of use, its livelihood importance, and impact on species. We conducted a systematic review to: compile literature on anuran uses in Africa; identify the species and ecoregions involved; and identify gaps and opportunities for monitoring anuran utilisation. From an initial pool of 3335 articles, 85 studies on anuran use were reviewed. We augmented this with data from records on levels of anuran trade within CITES from 2012 to 2021, IUCN redlist, UNdata and WILDMEAT databases. We found 131 amphibian (124 anuran) species belonging to 18 families and 42 genera used within Africa. About 31.5% of species are used as food and 2.4% used in traditional medicine. Another 23.4% are used in multiple ways. Larger-bodied species, including Hoplobatrachus occipitalis and Pyxicephalus edulis, are most preferred as food, whereas smaller and colourful ones (mostly in the Mantellidae family) are traded as pets. The use of anurans as food and traditional medicine is concentrated in Guineo-Congolian and Guineo-Sudanian ecoregions, whilst Madagascar and the Indian Ocean dominates the international pet trade. Wild populations of anuran species are collected mainly by local men and sold to intermediaries to supply food and pet markets. African countries import frog legs more than they export possibly, to supply locally based international restaurants. We identified the inability of most international databases to accurately capture the extent of anuran use with literature review identifying 28 additional species missed by these platforms. Also, there are few scientific studies that quantify the impacts of use on anurans in Africa. Synthesis and applications: We recommend that anuran species collection and trade be incorporated into national biodiversity monitoring plans.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41766740/
- PMID 42528927 (2026, Biology methods & protocols) — Investigating the efficacy of skin swabbing as a minimally invasive method of genetic sampling from Indian amphibians.. Abstract (opening): Amphibians are facing an unprecedented extinction crisis; 41% of the species are currently on the verge of extinction, making them among the most threatened vertebrates. One of the integral components in amphibian conservation is genetic research, which provides vital insights into their fitness and long-term persistence. Molecular studies on amphibians most often use invasive methods that are detrimental to them. Instead, minimally invasive methods such as cloacal, buccal, and skin swabbing can be effective. In this study, we collected skin swab samples from multiple anuran species in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot and the urban areas of Bengaluru, India, to assess the efficacy of skin swabs for generating genetic data without compromising animal welfare. Two extraction methods (salt vs Qiagen™ DNeasy kit) and two swab storage conditions (dry vs wet) were assessed. There was no significant difference in DNA yield between the two DNA extraction methods, whereas kit-based extractions consistently yielded DNA within the ideal purity range (A260/280 = 1.8-2.0). Swab storage did not significantly affect DNA concentration, but dry swabs provided significantly higher purity. Samples showed 86.36% amplification success on the gel, and 67.05% yielded high-quality DNA sequences suitable for downstream analyses. Our results demonstrate that minimally invasive skin swabs are a non-lethal technique that can be replicated in anurans using less DNA. This is the first study from the Indian tropical region to utilise multiple species of varying body sizes to demonstrate the feasibility of minimally invasive skin swabbing as a method for anuran research and conservation.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42528927/
Source text: pdf-raw/evidence/europepmc_amphibian_husbandry_health_2026-08-01.txt (Europe PMC first-hand abstracts, pulled 2026-08-01).