Fungal infections are fairly new to wild snakes, and rarely occurred prior to 2006. Now they're increasing at a steady rate. One of those, Snake Fungal Disease (SFD), has just been identified in Louisiana -- the 16th state in which it is known to occur.
It's worth noting, too, that fungal infections are on the rise among wildlife. In the last 20 years, fungal and fungal-like diseases such as chytridiomycosis in amphibians, white-nose syndrome in bats, and colony collapse disorder in bees, have been the culprits behind some the most severe animal and insect die-offs ever observed.
Currently, SFD is also known to be present in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Illinois and Florida. But the disease is suspected to be more widespread in the United States than is already confirmed, and officials are on the lookout for other cases.
This emerging disease causes scabs and crusty areas, and sometimes lesions and swelling of the snake's face, and has an increasing mortality rate. It is (so far) known to afflict northern water snakes, eastern racers, rat snakes, timber rattlesnakes, massasauga, pygmy rattlesnakes and milk snakes.
Snakes are integral to an ecosystem. They eat crop-destroying pests, and are predators of rodents. Learning about snake venom has also helped develop medicines that stop heart attacks and prevent blood clots.
"Snakes may not be everyone's favorite animal, but they are undeniably important in a well-balanced ecosystem," USGS ecologist Brad "Bones" Glorioso, study lead author, said. "They deserve our respect and understanding."
The first confirmed case of the disease in Louisiana was in a young snake from the Lafayette area's Cypress Island Preserve. So far, this is one of the few documented cases in the nation of the disease in a juvenile snake.
"Finding the disease in a juvenile snake is of particular concern. If younger snakes die from the disease before reaching reproductive age, it could have devastating effects on snake populations," Glorioso said.
Following the initial part of the study, the researchers have found the disease in snakes from other parts of the state. The study recently was published in Southeastern Naturalist.
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