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Introduction: Standard emergency medicine practice includes tetanus vaccine administration as part of wound care management for patients who are not fully immunized. Since there have been no available studies in the United States reaffirming the prevalence of Clostridium tetani (C tetani) since 1926, we sought to identify its prevalence in a major urban county in the US.Methods: We sampled soil, rusted metal, concrete, and dog feces to determine the prevalence of C tetani in a single metropolitan county in the United States. Soil samples and swabs were collected from four locations: the soil of a public park and an elementary school; dog feces from a single public dog park; and rusted surfaces (metal and concrete) in common student areas of a university campus. The presence of C tetani in each sample was determined using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Results: In total, 200 samples were collected, of which 37 (18.5%) tested positive for C tetani DNA. Among the 140 samples taken from the soil, just one (0.7%) tested positive for C tetani DNA. Of the 40 samples of rusted metal and concrete surfaces, 30 (75%) tested positive for C tetani, and six (30%) of the 20 samples from dog feces tested positive for C tetani.Conclusion: We found that C tetani is frequently present on rusted metal and concrete surfaces but rarely in soil samples. Minor wounds contaminated with soil may be considered low risk for tetanus. However, future studies should assess the burden of C tetani in other similar urban, suburban, and rural environments to help determine the threat of C tetani more exactly.

Initiatives to protect 30% of Earth by 2030 prompt evaluation of how to efficiently target shortcomings in the global protected area (PA) network. Focusing on amphibians, the most vulnerable vertebrate class, we illustrate the conservation value of microreserves, a term we employ here to refer to reserves of

Amphibians are a clade of over 8,400 species that provide unique research opportunities and challenges. With amphibians undergoing severe global declines, we posit that assessing our current understanding of amphibians is imperative. Focusing on the past five years (2016-2020), we examine trends in amphibian research, data, and systematics. New species of amphibians continue to be described at a pace of â 150 per year. Phylogenomic studies are increasing, fueling a growing consensus in the amphibian tree of life. Over 3,000 species of amphibians are now represented by expert-curated accounts or data in AmphibiaWeb, AmphibiaChina, BIOWEB, or the Amphibian Disease Portal. Nevertheless, many species lack basic natural history data (e.g., diet records, morphological measurements, call recordings) and major gaps exist for entire amphibian clades. Genomic resources appear on the cusp of a rapid expansion, but large, repetitive amphibian genomes still pose significant challenges. Conservation continues to be a major focus for amphibian research, and threats cataloged on AmphibiaWeb for 1,261 species highlight the need to address land use change and disease using adaptive management strategies. To further promote amphibian research and conservation, we underscore the importance of database integration and suggest that other understudied or imperiled clades would benefit from similar assessments of existing data.

Biodiversity loss is one major outcome of human-mediated ecosystem disturbance. One way that humans have triggered wildlife declines is by transporting disease-causing agents to remote areas of the world. Amphibians have been hit particularly hard by disease due in part to a globally distributed pathogenic chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [Bd]). Prior research has revealed important insights into the biology and distribution of Bd; however, there are still many outstanding questions in this system. Although we know that there are multiple divergent lineages of Bd that differ in pathogenicity, we know little about how these lineages are distributed around the world and where lineages may be coming into contact. Here, we implement a custom genotyping method for a global set of Bd samples. This method is optimized to amplify and sequence degraded DNA from noninvasive skin swab samples. We describe a divergent lineage of Bd, which we call BdASIA3, that appears to be widespread in Southeast Asia. This lineage co-occurs with the global panzootic lineage (BdGPL) in multiple localities. Additionally, we shed light on the global distribution of BdGPL and highlight the expanded range of another lineage, BdCAPE. Finally, we argue that more monitoring needs to take place where Bd lineages are coming into contact and where we know little about Bd lineage diversity. Monitoring need not use expensive or difficult field techniques but can use archived swab samples to further explore the history-and predict the future impacts-of this devastating pathogen.

We revise the taxonomy of the frog genus Noblella on the basis of a molecular phylogeny. Previous studies recognized that Noblella is non-monophyletic, with one clade distributed from southeastern Peru to northeastern Bolivia and adjacent areas in Brazil and another clade distributed from northern Peru to Ecuador and southeastern Colombia. The lack of sequences from the type species Noblella peruviana prevented the investigation of its phylogenetic position and the status of related taxa. Our rediscovery after more than 115 years allowed for the inclusion of DNA sequences of Noblella peruviana obtained from specimens collected at the type locality in southeastern Peru. We inferred a phylogeny based on a concatenated dataset (three mitochondrial and two nuclear loci) using Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods. Our phylogeny corroborated the non-monophyly of Noblella and helped resolve the status of related taxa, including Psychrophrynella bagrecito, the type species of the genus Psychrophrynella (rediscovered after 42 years). We identified a clade containing N. peruviana, P. bagrecito, and other species of Noblella and Psychrophrynella distributed in southern Peru. Given that the name Noblella predates Psychrophrynella, we propose that Psychrophrynella should be considered a junior synonym of Noblella. The second clade contains species of Noblella distributed in Ecuador and northern Peru, including N. myrmecoides, which used to be the type species of the genus Phyllonastes. Consequently, we propose to reinstate the genus Phyllonastes to accommodate all species of Noblella distributed in Ecuador, northern Peru, southeastern Colombia, and adjacent areas in Brazil. We present an updated taxonomy including new combinations for 12 species and reinstatements for three species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetrapods (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) are model systems for global biodiversity science, but continuing data gaps, limited data standardisation, and ongoing flux in taxonomic nomenclature constrain integrative research on this group and potentially cause biased inference. We combined and harmonised taxonomic, spatial, phylogenetic, and attribute data with phylogeny-based multiple imputation to provide a comprehensive data resource (TetrapodTraits 1.0.0) that includes values, predictions, and sources for body size, activity time, micro- and macrohabitat, ecosystem, threat status, biogeography, insularity, environmental preferences, and human influence, for all 33,281 tetrapod species covered in recent fully sampled phylogenies. We assess gaps and biases across taxa and space, finding that shared data missing in attribute values increased with taxon-level completeness and richness across clades. Prediction of missing attribute values using multiple imputation revealed substantial changes in estimated macroecological patterns. These results highlight biases incurred by nonrandom missingness and strategies to best address them. While there is an obvious need for further data collection and updates, our phylogeny-informed database of tetrapod traits can support a more comprehensive representation of tetrapod species and their attributes in ecology, evolution, and conservation research. Tetrapods are model systems for global biodiversity science, but continuing data gaps and limited data standardization potentially introduce biases. TetrapodTraits is a database of 33,281 tetrapod species, integrating taxonomic, spatial, phylogenetic and attribute data through phylogeny-based multiple imputation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document provides a compilation of scientific articles and studies on the presence of leeches associated with Andean water frogs in southern Peru. The articles discuss the decline of amphibian populations globally and the role of infectious diseases caused by microorganisms. The studies focus on two species of leeches, Helobdella sp. and Maiabdella batracophila, that were observed attached to the skin of Telmatobius frogs. The document also highlights the need for further research to understand the impact of leeches on frog populations in the high Andes and emphasizes the importance of studying these interactions for conservation efforts. [Extracted from the article]

Based on morphological and molecular characters, we describe a new species of terrestrial breeding frog of the Pristimantis danae Group from montane forests of La Mar Province, Ayacucho Department in southern Peru, at elevations from 1200 to 2000 m a.s.l. The phylogenetic analysis, based on concatenated sequences of gene fragments of 16S rRNA, RAG1, COI and TYR suggests that the new species is a sister taxon of a clade that includes one undescribed species of Pristimantis from Cusco, Pristimantis pharangobates and Pristimantis rhabdolaemus. The new species is most similar to P. rhabdolaemus, which differs by lacking scapular tubercules and by its smaller size (17.0-18.6 mm in males [n = 5], 20.8-25.2 mm in females [n = 5] in the new species vs. 22.8-26.3 mm in males [n = 19], 26.0-31.9 mm in females [n = 30] of P. rhabdolaemus). Additionally, we report the prevalence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a new snake species of the genus Tachymenoides from the scientifically unexplored southern sector of the Otishi National Park in Peru (Region Junín). The single adult male specimen with a total length of 407 mm was obtained in the Pantano la Esperanza swamp of a puna valley at 3248 m a.s.l. The new species has smooth dorsal scales without apical pits in 19/17/15 series, 1 preocular, 2 postoculars, 1 loreal, undivided nasal scale, 2+3 temporals, 139 ventrals, 55 subcaudals, and a divided cloacal scale. In life, the dorsum is pale yellowish brown with scattered black blotches that form a paravertebral stripe (one scale wide) on each side at the posterior half of the body. The flanks are black ventrolaterally (2-3 scales high), followed at the posterior half of the body by a pale yellowish-brown longitudinal stripe of two scales width, bordered dorsolaterally by the black paravertebral stripe. The throat and first 60 mm of the ventral body are pale yellowish tan with black flecks, and a ventrolateral black stripe on each side of the same length, the remaining venter and tail entirely black. The head has dorsally a black stripe from the posterior margins of the postoculars extending over the outside margins of the rostrals over the head scales (2-3 scales in width) and narrowing to 1 scale width on the neck region before ending; laterally, the head has black flecks on the supralabials, and a black stripe extending from postoculars diagonally over parietals over posterior supralabials to the corner of the jaw. The iris is copper with a vertical pupil. The type locality of Proctoporus titans is corrected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decline in amphibian populations is one of the starkest examples of the biodiversity crisis. For stream breeding amphibians, alterations to natural flow regimes by dams, water diversions, and climate change have been implicated in declines and extirpations. Identifying drivers of amphibian declines requires long time series of abundance data because amphibian populations can exhibit high natural variability. Multiple population viability analysis (MPVA) models integrate abundance data and share information from different populations to estimate how environmental factors influence population growth. Flow alteration has been linked to declines and extirpations in the Foothill Yellow‐legged Frog (Rana boylii), a stream breeding amphibian native to California and Oregon. To date, no study has jointly analyzed abundance data from populations throughout the range of R. boylii in an MPVA model. We compiled time series of egg mass counts (an index of adult female abundance) from R. boylii populations in 36 focal streams and fit an MPVA model to quantify how streamflow metrics, stream temperature, and surrounding land cover affect population growth. We found population growth was positively related to stream temperature and was higher in the years following a wet year with high total annual streamflow. Density dependence was weakest (i.e., carrying capacity was highest) for streams with high seasonality of streamflow and intermediate rates of change in streamflow during spring. Our results highlight how altered streamflow can further increase the risk of decline for R. boylii populations. Managing stream conditions to better match natural flow and thermal regimes would benefit the conservation of R. boylii populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a new species of terrestrial-breeding frog of the genus Pristimantis from the Peruvian Yungas ecoregion of central Peru, Junin Department. The description is based on the observation of morphological features, color patterns of fourteen specimens, bioacoustic traits of the advertisement calls, and a phylogenetic analysis using a sequence fragment of 16S rRNA. The new species is mainly characterized by having a rounded or truncate snout in dorsal view, presence of dorsolateral folds, tympanic membrane and annulus distinct, absence of flash marks on the hidden surfaces of flanks and hindlimbs, and a small size (maximum SVL 15.6 mm in males and 19.3 mm in females). We provide diagnostic traits to differentiate the new species from phylogenetically close relatives, as well as morphologically similar and sympatric species of Pristimantis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a new species of Proctoporus from the scientifically unexplored southern sector of the Otishi National Park (Region Cusco) in Peru, on the basis of molecular and morphological characters. Seven type specimens were obtained from six localities between 3241–3269 m a.s.l. within a radius of ca. 1.5 km in a Puna valley. Nine adult specimens (four males, five females) from Chiquintirca (Region Ayacucho, ca. 85 km airline from the type locality) are considered referred specimens. Males of the new species have a snout–vent length of 41.3–53.9 mm ( x ¯ = 46.7, n = 6), females have a snout–vent length of 43.6–52.6 mm ( x ¯ = 48.1, n = 8). The new species has dorsal scales striated, four supraoculars, four anterior supralabials, loreal and prefrontal scales absent, two pairs of genials (rarely one or three), three rows of pregulars, and five to seven femoral pores in males (absent in females). Sexual dimorphism is evident in the ventral coloration: males have neck, chest, and belly dark gray to black, whereas females have neck, chest, and belly pale gray with a diffuse dark gray fleck in the center of each scale, and an orange iris with a fringed pupil in both sexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]