Microbiome Dynamics During Translocation of the Critically Endangered Frog Craugastor ranoides

Harrison, XA, Herborn, K, Alvarado, G, Chavarría, MM, Marsh, KJ, Wilson, ADM, North, AC, Wakeham, VEP, Fernández, R, Zumbado-Ulate, H, Bielby, J ORCID: 0000-0003-4586-0429 and Puschendorf, R (2026) Microbiome Dynamics During Translocation of the Critically Endangered Frog Craugastor ranoides. Animal Conservation. ISSN 1367-9430

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Abstract

Amphibian populations are declining, and species are going extinct due to habitat loss, climate change, and emerging infectious disease, prompting the increasing use of translocations as a conservation tool. Skin-associated bacterial communities play a key role in amphibian health, particularly in protecting hosts from pathogenic infection. However, to date we know relatively little about the impact of translocation on the dynamics of skin-associated bacteria, or the consequences of translocation-mediated disturbance of the microbiome for amphibian health. We investigated the skin microbiome of the critically endangered frog Craugastor ranoides, now restricted to a fraction of its historical range in Costa Rica. We first conducted a multi-population survey to characterise among-population variation in skin bacterial communities. We then translocated individuals to a new site, using radio tracking to monitor them over time and assess individual-level changes in body mass, microbiome composition, and predicted microbial function. We found limited among-population variation in skin microbiome composition across three different populations of C. ranoides. Response of the microbiome to translocation was highly individual-specific; some frogs demonstrated relatively stable community richness and composition, whilst others exhibited marked turnover in bacterial membership and predicted function. Body mass showed similar dynamics, but several of the recaptured frogs had gained mass after several days in the translocation site. Our findings highlight the importance of considering microbiome dynamics in threatened species translocations to optimise individual health. This includes considering whether individuals should be prioritised for translocation based on their initial microbiome composition, and understanding how shifts in microbiome post-translocation may alter the overall success of translocation efforts. These insights extend beyond amphibians, offering a broader framework for integrating long-term monitoring of host microbiomes and health into conservation efforts.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	4101 Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation; 31 Biological Sciences; 3103 Ecology; 3107 Microbiology; 3109 Zoology; 41 Environmental Sciences; Human Genome; Infectious Diseases; Genetics; Microbiome; Infection; 15 Life on Land; 05 Environmental Sciences; 06 Biological Sciences; Ecology; 31 Biological sciences; 41 Environmental sciences
Subjects:	Q Science > QL Zoology
Divisions:	Biological and Environmental Sciences (from Sep 19)
Publisher:	Wiley
Date of acceptance:	19 August 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	5 October 2026
Date Deposited:	05 Oct 2026 13:24
Last Modified:	05 Oct 2026 13:24
DOI or ID number:	10.1111/acv.70103
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/29603

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