Dynamic effects of thermal acclimation on chytridiomycosis infection intensity and transmission potential in Xenopus laevis

The pandemic amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) can cause more severe infections with variable temperatures due to delays in host thermal acclimation following temperature shifts. However, little is known about the timing of these acclimation effects or their consequences for Bd transmission. We measured how thermal acclimation affects Bd infection in Xenopus laevis, using a timing-of-exposure treatment to investigate acclimation effect persistence following a temperature shift. Consistent with a delay in host acclimation, warm-acclimated frogs exposed to Bd immediately following a temperature decrease (Day 0) developed higher infection intensities than frogs already acclimated to the cool temperature. This acclimation effect was surprisingly persistent (5 weeks). Acclimation did not affect infection intensity when Bd exposure occurred one week after the temperature shift, indicating that frogs fully acclimated to new temperatures within 7 days. This suggests that ac..., , , # Noelker\_etal\_XenopusBdAcclimation

This study investigates the effects of acclimation and performance temperatures on *Xenopus laevis* Bd infections from skin swabs and filters measuring zoospore production.

**TITLE:** *Dynamic effects of thermal acclimation on chytridiomycosis infection intensity and transmission potential in Xenopus laevis*

James E. Noelker (Corresponding author: [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail]))

Vitoria Abreu Ruozzi

Kyle D. Spengler

Hunter M. Craig

Thomas R. Raffel (Principle investigator)

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**File 1:** *Experiment1&2TemperatureData.csv*

CSV of temperature data from Experiment 1 & 2 comparing target temperatures with data collected using HOBO temperature loggers in each incubator.

| Variable name | Description |
| -------------- | -------------------------...