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Podcast: Mongabay Newscast
Episode: Mongabay Explores the Great Salamander Pandemic, Part 6: Hellbenders and super spreaders
Description: Hellbenders are North America's largest salamanders, living in rivers and growing to an incredible length of over two feet. Eastern newts are tiny and terrestrial, but both are susceptible to a fungal pathogen called Bsal. While Bsal has yet to make an appearance in the global hotspot of salamander diversity that is North America, it has wreaked havoc on populations in Europe, so biologists worry its impact could be even worse if it does. Eastern newts' susceptibility to Bsal coupled with their notable mobility mean they could act as "super-spreaders" of Bsal if the fungus ever gets...