We report the presence of pigmented skin tumors in three populations of the endangered amphibian Montseny brook newt, Calotriton arnoldi, one of the European amphibian species with the smallest distribution range (40 km2 in the Montseny Natural Park, Catalonia, Spain). Examination of one of the tumors by light microscopy was consistent with chromatophoroma and was most suggestive of a melanophoroma. Tumors were not found in juveniles. In adults, only two of three populations were affected. The proportions of males and females affected were not significantly different, but there was a positive correlation between body size and presence of tumors in both sexes. The etiology of chromatophoromas remains unknown but, in our study, they do not appear to have been caused by water quality or Ultraviolet B.
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1 April 2011
INCIDENCE OF PIGMENTED SKIN TUMORS IN A POPULATION OF WILD MONTSENY BROOK NEWT (CALOTRITON ARNOLDI )
Albert Martínez-Silvestre,
Fèlix Amat,
Ferran Bargalló,
Salvador Carranza
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Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Vol. 47 • No. 2
April 2011
Vol. 47 • No. 2
April 2011
Calotriton arnoldi
chromatophoroma
dermatology
emergent diseases
melanocytoma