Care library / Health

Health guide, not a diagnosis · Serious

Chytrid fungus (frogs & newts)

Also called chytrid, chytridiomycosis, bd, bsal

Signs

Skin peeling or shedding a lot
Lethargy, sitting with legs spread
Not eating

Cause

A deadly skin fungus of amphibians.

What to do

See an exotic-animal vet quickly. Keep the animal alone and disinfect equipment.

If a fish is badly ill, talk to an aquatic vet.

Prevention

Quarantine new amphibians; never mix wild and pet animals.

Species often affected

28 species

African dwarf frogHymenochirus boettgeri

Moderate3.5 cm20–25 °C

African clawed frogXenopus laevis

Easy12 cm18–24 °C

Chinese fire-bellied newtHypselotriton orientalis

Easy8 cm15–22 °C

Paddle-tail newtPachytriton brevipes

Oriental fire-bellied toadBombina orientalis

Zaire dwarf frogHymenochirus curtipes

Merlin's dwarf clawed frogPseudhymenochirus merlini

Western clawed frogXenopus tropicalis

Moderate5 cm24–28 °C

Surinam toadPipa pipa

Dwarf Surinam toadPipa parva

Yellow-bellied toadBombina variegata

European fire-bellied toadBombina bombina

Moderate5 cm10–24 °C

Yunnan fire-bellied toadBombina maxima

Budgett's frogLepidobatrachus laevis

Japanese fire-bellied newtCynops pyrrhogaster

Moderate12 cm10–24 °C

Sword-tailed newtCynops ensicauda

Hard15 cm12–24 °C

Hong Kong warty newtParamesotriton hongkongensis

Vietnamese warty newtParamesotriton deloustali

Emperor newtTylototriton shanjing

Moderate20 cm16–26 °C

Red-tailed knobby newtTylototriton kweichowensis

Moderate21 cm10–26 °C

Himalayan crocodile newtTylototriton verrucosus

Iberian ribbed newtPleurodeles waltl

Eastern newtNotophthalmus viridescens

Alpine newtIchthyosaura alpestris

Smooth newtLissotriton vulgaris

MudpuppyNecturus maculosus

Lesser sirenSiren intermedia

Rubber eelTyphlonectes natans

Moderate60 cm24–28 °C