Project Director

Wilson, Thomas P.

Department Examiner

Barbosa, Jose M.; Carver, Ethan A.

Department

Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

I examined the presence and absence of the amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in three survey areas in Eastern Tennessee. Amphibians were swabbed to assess for Bd and other ecological qualities like canopy cover, and air and water temperature are a few of the measurements evaluated. DNA was extracted from the swabs using a Qiagen DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit and samples were PCRed in triplicate to confirm presence or absence. All 48 animals that were swabbed in the field were negative for Bd. These results parallel other findings that few Bd positive assays have been conducted in East Tennessee from juveniles. Bioassessments can be a powerful tool in expanding our knowledge of Bd in Tennessee and can be used to focus biological hazard protocols in respect to the conservation status of amphibians.

Acknowledgments

Support for this project was provided by the Provost Student Research Awards at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Special thanks are given to Dr. Jose Barbosa, Dr. Ethan Carver, Dr. David Giles, and Dr. Margaret Kovach for academic and laboratory support. Thank you to Team Salamander, especially Macall Nabors, Cameron Brocco, and Paul-Erik Bakland. My deepest gratitude to Dr. Thomas P. Wilson for his continual support and being the voice of reason when I need it most.

IACUC Number

0408

Degree

B. S.; An honors thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Science.

Date

5-2017

Subject

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; Amphibians -- Research; Salamanders -- Tennessee

Keyword

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; Bd; East Tennessee; Amphibian; Plethodontidae; Lungless salamander

Discipline

Biology

Document Type

Theses

Extent

x, 41 leaves

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

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