Winter burrows emerge as infection risk for threatened Yosemite toads

By Erick León

Source publication: October 1, 2026.

A UCLA-led study found that Yosemite toads can emerge from winter hibernation with heavy fungal infections, challenging assumptions that their greatest infection risk occurs while breeding in water.

Researchers studying Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis surveyed toads from 2021 through 2023, collecting approximately 1,800 samples across six sites. The findings indicate winter dormancy is a major period of infection growth, particularly among young toads.

According to UCLA’s October 1 report, the results have informed captive-rearing and reintroduction practices, with animals now returned when fully mature. The study highlights the importance of underground habitat and seasonal monitoring in conservation planning for the threatened Sierra Nevada species.

Source: UCLA — original report.

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