About This Project

The Western Toad is one of Utah's most at-risk native species, threatened significantly by a deadly disease called chytrid fungus. There are major gaps in our knowledge about the range of this disease in Utah, which populations are most affected, and why survival varies. To fill that gap, we will visit toad habitats across the state, collect skin swab samples, and build the first statewide map of where the fungus exists, giving wildlife managers the information they need to protect Utah's toads.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

The Western Toad was once common across Utah's mountain wetlands, but populations have been quietly declining for decades. Chytrid fungus is one of the reasons why. This disease attacks amphibian skin, which toads rely on for protection, breathing, and regulating body chemistry. Chytrid fungus disrupts these functions, often fatally. Entire toad populations in Colorado and New Mexico have been lost to it. In Utah, some populations have crashed while others appear to be hanging on for reasons still poorly understood.

Disease monitoring in Utah has been inconsistent since 2001, leaving wildlife managers without a reliable picture of the current status. This project brings together veterinary scientists from Utah State University, biologists from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR), and conservation staff from Utah's Hogle Zoo to conduct the first systematic, statewide survey of chytrid fungus in Western Toad populations, creating a baseline for ongoing conservation efforts.

What is the significance of this project?

The Western Toad is formally listed in Utah's Wildlife Action Plan as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need. A population on the Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah collapsed so severely from suspected chytrid exposure that an emergency captive breeding program was launched in 2008, now involving Utah's Hogle Zoo, Denver Zoo, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, and others. Toads raised in this program are actively being reintroduced into the wild – but those efforts are only as effective as the information behind them. Releasing toads into habitat without knowing whether chytrid is present, and how intense it is, risks undermining all that work.

This study will provide the data those conservation efforts need: which populations are most at risk, which habitats are safe for reintroduction, and whether certain populations carry natural resistance to the disease – a finding that could reshape how we protect toads across the entire western United States.

What are the goals of the project?

We will visit at least 12 Western Toad pond habitats across Utah's major toad strongholds. At each site, toads will be gently captured, briefly swabbed on the skin surface, and immediately released - a process that takes moments and causes no harm. Samples will be analyzed using sensitive laboratory testing to detect the fungus and measure infection intensity. Results will be mapped statewide and shared directly with the wildlife managers and agencies making real decisions about toad habitat, captive breeding, and reintroduction.