Amphibian helminths in Europe revisited: taxonomy, threats, and ecological insights.

Abstract

Amphibians face numerous threats, including climate change, pollution, and emerging infectious diseases. While chytrid fungi have dominated recent research on amphibian pathogens, helminth parasites, despite their diversity and potential to impact amphibian health, remain underexplored, particularly in Europe. The goal of this review is to highlight the current state of knowledge on amphibian helminths in Europe, including current knowledge on species diversity, parasites' life history, and the availability of molecular data. We outline major challenges in amphibian helminthology and propose strategies to address them, aiming to stimulate renewed research interest. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive list of documented helminth species and their amphibian hosts, including information on publicly available DNA sequences, offering a foundation for future studies.