A rapid amphibian survey at Itremo-Ambatofinandrahana, central Madagascar, with confirmed absence of chytrid fungus and recommendations for future monitoring activities

We conducted a rapid amphibian survey of the Atsirakambiaty relict altitude rainforest on Itremo-Ambatofinandrahana Massif, central Madagascar at an altitude of around 1550 m a.s.l. We detected a total of 12 amphibian species, whose taxonomic attributions were confirmed by both morphological and molecular data. Tissue samples were also screened for presence of a lethal chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which turned out to be negative. We encourage the herpetological community working in Madagascar to screen regularly amphibian tissue samples for Bd as a tool within the early detection plan recently launched for Madagascar. © NwjZ, Oradea, Romania, 2011.