Many hidden corpses
“We talk about it relatively little, and for good reason: four years have passed between the last two proven cases in Wallonia. This situation could give the impression that the disease would spread slowly and would currently remain confined to a restricted area, but the reality could be quite different. In general, mortalities affect salamanders when they are in their underground hiding place thinking they are safe from any threat. The very numerous corpses are then of course never discovered.”, Natagora alert
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A study carried out by the association between autumn 2022 and spring 2024, in and around the seven populations known to be infected or for which the association had suspicions, revealed a very worrying situation: in the 21 forest massifs surveyed in the north-east of Wallonia, 19 presented abnormally low salamander densities. While naturalists generally count several dozen, or even more, salamanders per kilometer of forest road in good weather conditions, barely 42 salamanders could be found over nearly 140 km traveled.
“These very low densities, of the order of one salamander every 3 km on average, suggest that the disease could be much more widespread than initially imagined. It should be noted that the tests carried out on these rare survivors have all turned out to be negative. This situation has also been observed in Germany, where Bsal is spreading like wildfire, currently affecting the center and south of the country.specifies the association.
200 species decimated across the world
Several years ago, a pathogen close to Bsal, (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) caused the decline of 200 amphibian species across the world, half of which disappeared in less than 30 years. It is considered by the IUCN to be the pathogen posing the greatest threat to biodiversity on a global scale, all taxa combined.
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For Thierry Kinet, herpetologist at Natagora, the new version of the mushroom could cause an outright disappearance of the one and only species of salamander found in Belgium. “This fungus clearly represents a threat to the survival of the salamander. And the big fear is that it will spread to other species of amphibians.”he warns. To limit damage, the specialist calls on walkers to take simple precautionary measures. “To avoid contamination as much as possible, we ask walkers to clean and dry their shoes thoroughly when they return from a walk and more particularly when they walk from one forest area to another. We also ask them to report suspicious bodies.”
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