A Basidiobolus sp. and its association with reptiles and amphibians in southern Florida

To provide information about the distribution of a Basidiobolus sp., an occasional pathogen in the subtropics and tropics, 95 reptiles and amphibians, comprising eight different species, were trapped from the beaches and inland habitats of Tampa and Miami, Florida. Five of the eight animal species were infested with Basidiobolus sp. Approximately 50% of the animals collected carried this zygomycete. Under laboratory conditions, it remained in the digestive tracts of some starved anoles for up to 3 weeks. Some animals, whose digestive tract was fungus-free, could be colonized with the Basidiobolus sp. by feeding them mealworms contaminated with propagules of this fungus. This finding alters, in a minor way, the present concept of the life history of the fungus.