A newly identified skin-eating fungus has brought a Dutch population of the amphebian species of salamanders close to extinction.
Experts have been mystified by what has been killing fire salamanders in the Netherlands since 2010, causing their numbers to plummet by 96 per cent.
Scientists have now isolated a new species of fungus from the dead animals, which they named Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans.
The second part of the name means “salamander eating” because of the way the fungus invades and destroys the creature’s skin.
A related species of fungus, known as Batrachochytrium denrobatidis (Bd) is thought to have wiped out more than 200 amphibian species worldwide.
Our experience with Bd has shown that fungal diseases can spread between amphibian populations across the world very quickly
Matthew Fisher, from Imperial College London, one of the researchers whose findings appear in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, said: “It is a complete mystery why we are seeing this outbreak now, and one explanation is that the new salamander-killing fungus has invaded the Netherlands from elsewhere in the world.
“We need to know if this is the case, why it is so virulent, and what its impact on amphibian communities will be on a local and global scale. Our experience with Bd has shown that fungal diseases can spread between amphibian populations across the world very quickly.
“We need to act urgently to determine what populations are in danger and how best to protect them.”
Surviving salamanders are now being kept in captivity to protect the remaining population.
A diagnostic tool has also been developed that can rapidly identify the new fungus.
Tests on 100 salamanders from Belgium suggest that the infection has not spread beyond the Netherlands.