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In the News

Golden-backed frog

When observing a hoard of golden-backed frogs at a roadside pond in India, a group of naturalists noticed something odd — one animal had a tiny mushroom sprouting out of its side. Cornell's Dr. Alyssa Wetterau Kaganer weighs in and finds the discovery fascinating.
Mountain Chicken Frog shown in a wooded area dunder1564 [CC BY 2.0]

Cornell postdoctoral associate Alyssa Kaganer discusses chytrid disease and how we can help protect amphibians from this deadly fungus.
Alyssa Kaganer working in the lab.

News

Dr. Alyssa Kaganer began working with wildlife as an undergraduate student at Cornell University in 2012. She recalls “stumbling” into research at the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, where she was mentored by Drs. Krysten Schuler and Elizabeth Bunting.
Hellbender by Brian Gratwicke, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

Chytridiomycosis has caused significant declines and extinctions of many amphibian species. In a new paper, Cornell scientists have found that an oral vaccine can stimulate an immune response and help some species fight the deadly disease.
A Four-toed Salamander shown above the leaf litter by Alex Roukis

Protecting wildlife is hard, and a key step to determine if a wildlife species needs conservation intervention is finding them. The Cornell Wildlife Health Lab's Alyssa Kaganer describes using eDNA techniques to successfully find four-toed salamanders.
CALS undergraduate Genesis Contreras ’24 and her service dog, Nugget, at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center.

Cornell Animal Science major Genesis Contreras ’24 needed her service dog to keep her safe while working with the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, but Nugget, a 4-year-old beagle, needed to be safe as well. A team across Cornell found a solution: "doggles."
A 4-toed salamander by Alex Roukis shown sitting on top of a leaf

For Your Information

Successful conservation efforts for threatened species depend on accurate characterization of their distribution, habitat use, and threats. Environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring can provide a sensitive and noninvasive alternative to traditional surveillance techniques.
The Cornell ZAWS executive board celebrates a successful day with keynote speaker Dr. Linda Penfold

Cornell’s Zoo and Wildlife Society hosted its first Wildlife Conservation Day Feb. 26, a one-day symposium devoted to education and training for students with an interest in non-domestic species. 
Four-toed salamander byTodd Pierson

Environmental DNA techniques can detect a deadly virus in amphibian ponds, giving wildlife managers critical information about how to best protect vulnerable amphibian species.