Amphibians are the world's most threatened vertebrate group, facing a dual crisis of chytrid fungal disease and habitat loss. Their welfare and conservation are deeply intertwined with global biodiversity health.
Chytridiomycosis causes a prolonged death — infected amphibians experience progressive skin dysfunction, electrolyte imbalance, and cardiac arrest over days to weeks. The scale of amphibian suffering from this disease is staggering and largely invisible. Beyond individual welfare, the functional extinction of ecologically important species creates ripple effects through ecosystems. Welfare-informed conservation responses prioritise treatment of infected individuals where feasible, protection and restoration of habitat, and support for probiotic and other emerging biocontrol strategies.