Study warns that snake fungal disease could be a global threat

New research suggests that a potentially fatal snake fungus found in several species in the United States and three in Europe could be global in scale. The study, published today in the journal Science Advances, shows that the snake fungal disease caused by Ophidiomyces ophidiodiicola can infect snakes of many species regardless of their ancestry, physical characteristics, or habitats. The study’s authors, including researchers from the American Museum of Natural History, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the University of Maryland, College Park, warn that future surveys for the disease should assume that all snake species harbor this pathogen.