The world's richest biodiversity of salamanders and newts is being threatened by salamander chytrid disease, and the only hope might be North American pet owners.
The disease is caused by a fungus - Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans - that infects the skin of salamanders and newts, leading to wart-like lesions. As the disease progresses, the animals stop eating, lose control of their body movements and, in almost all cases, die.
Although originally from Asia, the disease has wreaked havoc in Europe and the United Kingdom, completely wiping out entire wild populations of the animals. Despite the fact that it hasn't been observed in Canada yet, the United States has already put protective measures in place in the form of strict regulations on the salamander and newt trade.
"It's basically the pet trade," said Natacha Hogan, an environmental toxicologist specializing in amphibians at the University of Saskatchewan. "It's when you start moving salamanders; this is what this spread has been attributed to. There have been millions of salamanders imported - how many kids own fire belly newts from a pet store?"
The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) has already taken steps raise awareness of the dangers that these animals are facing.
"If you must keep salamanders or newts as pets, ensure they are from locations where (the fungus) is not present and only buy from reputable suppliers," the group urged. "Make sure any water or cage wastes are properly disinfected with bleach before discarding them. Always seek appropriate veterinary care for sick pet salamanders and newts."
While newts are not too common in Canada, salamanders are widespread, and the rest of North America is even richer in the species.
"The U.S. has among the greatest biodiversity of amphibians in the world, so this is also true of salamanders and newts," Hogan said.
The salamander population is of particular importance because they serve as an early warning sign for environmental problems. Furthermore, they are a huge part of forest ecosystems, and a reduction in their population could have far-reaching effects with unpredictable consequences.
"Amphibians are key components within the food web," Hogan said. "A decline or elimination of even one species will have some impact, a trickle-down effect on other species within that food web."
