Host and Geographic Range of Snake Fungal Disease in Tennessee, USA

Abstract

<p>Since 2005, declines in snake populations have been associated with severe fungal skin infections that are referred to as snake fungal disease (SFD: Clark et al. 2011; Sutherland et al. 2014). These infections present with physical signs, such as ulcerations and malformations, as well as behavioral changes, such as an increase in molting frequency and basking behaviors (Lorch et al. 2015; Tetzlafff et al. 2017). Historical reports mentioning sores on the head and body are often associated with the fungus <i>Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola</i>, formerly named <i>Chrysosporium ophiodiicola</i> (Sigler et al. 2013; Allender et al. 2015a). Recently, fulfillment of Koch's postulates has been confirmed for <i>O. ophiodiicola</i> causing disease in two host species including <i>Agkistrodon piscivorus</i> and <i>Pantherophis guttatus</i> (Allender et al. 2015b; Lorch et al. 2015). Although the causative agent for this disease is documented in an experimental setting, the current host, and natural geographic range is largely unknown.</p>