| Sumario: | Chytridiomycosis, an infection caused by the chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), has become a global concern threatening the stability of amphibian populations and has spread rapidly across the United States since 1999. The fungus infects the skin of amphibians and may result in death. Recent numbers suggest that more than 30% of the world's amphibian populations have already been affected. We provide the first data on whether this dangerous infective agent has migrated into the populations of the canyon tree frog (Hyla arenicolor) in the canyon systems of Zion National Park (ZNP) in southwestern Utah from the infected population in Arizona. To test for the presence of the chytrid fungus, epidermal swabs were collected from 69 frogs, and the samples were tested for DNA markers associated with the chytrid fungus as well as universal fungal markers. The PCR did not show the presence of the chytrid fungus in ZNP at this time. We propose that this population be continually monitored in this area to gain insight into the spread of this disease.
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