Snake Fungal Disease (Ophidiomycosis) in Northern Pine Snakes (<i>Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus</i>) in New Jersey: Variations by Year, Sex, and Morphological Sampling Site
<i>Ophidiomyces ophidiicola</i>, the fungus causing Snake Fungal Disease (SFD) or ophidiomycosis, is prevalent in North American snakes and can have deleterious population effects. Northern pine snakes (<i>Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus</i>) in New Jersey often test posi...
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2025-03-01
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| author | Joanna Burger Christian Jeitner Robert T. Zappalorti John Bunnell Kelly Ng Emile DeVito David Schneider Michael Gochfeld |
| author_facet | Joanna Burger Christian Jeitner Robert T. Zappalorti John Bunnell Kelly Ng Emile DeVito David Schneider Michael Gochfeld |
| author_sort | Joanna Burger |
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| description | <i>Ophidiomyces ophidiicola</i>, the fungus causing Snake Fungal Disease (SFD) or ophidiomycosis, is prevalent in North American snakes and can have deleterious population effects. Northern pine snakes (<i>Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus</i>) in New Jersey often test positive for ophidiomycosis. In this paper, we use qPCR to examine changes in prevalence from 2018 to 2023, and differences by age, sex, and morphological sampling locations. We swabbed ventral surfaces, head, and cloaca of snakes, and lesions and eyes if there were clinical ophidiomycosis signs. A snake was considered positive if any site was positive by qPCR. The prevalence was 47% (2018), increased to 100% (2022), but declined to 46% in 2023. The prevalence was highest in snakes with lesions (46–100%); head swabs had the lowest rates. The more lesions a snake had, the more likely it was that at least one would be positive. Males had significantly more lesions than females, but the prevalence was similar. In 2023, the prevalence of <i>O. ophidiicola</i> was low, but the prevalence of lesions did not decrease as markedly. We discuss the temporal changes in the positivity for <i>O. ophidiicola</i> and its implications for ophidiomycosis effects, suggesting that the fungus is endemic in this population. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-6faf1533aedb4f309a6bd8a6667e4caf2025-08-20T03:43:16ZengMDPI AGJournal of Fungi2309-608X2025-03-0111320610.3390/jof11030206Snake Fungal Disease (Ophidiomycosis) in Northern Pine Snakes (<i>Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus</i>) in New Jersey: Variations by Year, Sex, and Morphological Sampling SiteJoanna Burger0Christian Jeitner1Robert T. Zappalorti2John Bunnell3Kelly Ng4Emile DeVito5David Schneider6Michael Gochfeld7Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USANew Jersey Pinelands Commission, New Lisbon, Pemberton, NJ 08068, USAHerpetological Associates, Inc., Pemberton, NJ 08068, USANew Jersey Pinelands Commission, New Lisbon, Pemberton, NJ 08068, USACell Biology and Neuroscience, Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USAConservation Foundation of New Jersey, Far Hills, NJ 07931, USAHerpetological Associates, Inc., Pemberton, NJ 08068, USACenter for Environmental Exposures and Disease, and Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA<i>Ophidiomyces ophidiicola</i>, the fungus causing Snake Fungal Disease (SFD) or ophidiomycosis, is prevalent in North American snakes and can have deleterious population effects. Northern pine snakes (<i>Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus</i>) in New Jersey often test positive for ophidiomycosis. In this paper, we use qPCR to examine changes in prevalence from 2018 to 2023, and differences by age, sex, and morphological sampling locations. We swabbed ventral surfaces, head, and cloaca of snakes, and lesions and eyes if there were clinical ophidiomycosis signs. A snake was considered positive if any site was positive by qPCR. The prevalence was 47% (2018), increased to 100% (2022), but declined to 46% in 2023. The prevalence was highest in snakes with lesions (46–100%); head swabs had the lowest rates. The more lesions a snake had, the more likely it was that at least one would be positive. Males had significantly more lesions than females, but the prevalence was similar. In 2023, the prevalence of <i>O. ophidiicola</i> was low, but the prevalence of lesions did not decrease as markedly. We discuss the temporal changes in the positivity for <i>O. ophidiicola</i> and its implications for ophidiomycosis effects, suggesting that the fungus is endemic in this population.https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11/3/206snake fungal diseaseSFD<i>Ophidiomyces ophidiicola</i>ophidiomycosisyearly differenceshibernation lesions |
| spellingShingle | Joanna Burger Christian Jeitner Robert T. Zappalorti John Bunnell Kelly Ng Emile DeVito David Schneider Michael Gochfeld Snake Fungal Disease (Ophidiomycosis) in Northern Pine Snakes (<i>Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus</i>) in New Jersey: Variations by Year, Sex, and Morphological Sampling Site Journal of Fungi snake fungal disease SFD <i>Ophidiomyces ophidiicola</i> ophidiomycosis yearly differences hibernation lesions |
| title | Snake Fungal Disease (Ophidiomycosis) in Northern Pine Snakes (<i>Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus</i>) in New Jersey: Variations by Year, Sex, and Morphological Sampling Site |
| title_full | Snake Fungal Disease (Ophidiomycosis) in Northern Pine Snakes (<i>Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus</i>) in New Jersey: Variations by Year, Sex, and Morphological Sampling Site |
| title_fullStr | Snake Fungal Disease (Ophidiomycosis) in Northern Pine Snakes (<i>Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus</i>) in New Jersey: Variations by Year, Sex, and Morphological Sampling Site |
| title_full_unstemmed | Snake Fungal Disease (Ophidiomycosis) in Northern Pine Snakes (<i>Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus</i>) in New Jersey: Variations by Year, Sex, and Morphological Sampling Site |
| title_short | Snake Fungal Disease (Ophidiomycosis) in Northern Pine Snakes (<i>Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus</i>) in New Jersey: Variations by Year, Sex, and Morphological Sampling Site |
| title_sort | snake fungal disease ophidiomycosis in northern pine snakes i pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus i in new jersey variations by year sex and morphological sampling site |
| topic | snake fungal disease SFD <i>Ophidiomyces ophidiicola</i> ophidiomycosis yearly differences hibernation lesions |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11/3/206 |
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