Nutritional diseases of amphibians

Citation

Pessier A. 2007. Nutritional diseases of amphibians. In Ward A, Hunt A, Maslanka M, Eds. Proceedings of the Seventh Conference on Zoo and Wildlife Nutrition, AZA Nutrition Advisory Group, Knoxville, TN.

Abstract

Basic knowledge of amphibian nutrition lags far behind that of reptiles and even fish. Recent documentation of worldwide declines and extinctions of amphibian populations and subsequent development of a variety of ex-situ and in-situ captive propagation programs will almost certainly increase the demand for scientifically based programs for nutritional management of these animals. Because the class Amphibia has such rich species diversity, development of a satisfactory “one size fits all” approach to dietary husbandry is unlikely. Approaches that incorporate careful observations of species natural history along with experimental studies as has been documented for some reptile species will be necessary. This paper reviews common and emerging nutritional diseases of amphibians observed in the author’s diagnostic practice.

Pessier – NUTRITIONAL DISEASES OF AMPHIBIANS.pdf     1 MB