Data from: Variation in individual temperature preferences, not behavioural fever, affects susceptibility to chytridiomycosis in amphibians

The ability of wildlife populations to mount rapid responses to novel
pathogens will be critical for mitigating the impacts of disease outbreaks
in a changing climate. Field studies have documented that amphibians
preferring warmer temperatures are less likely to be infected with the
fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). However, it is
unclear whether this phenomenon is driven by behavioural fever or natural
variation in thermal preference. Here, we placed frogs in thermal
gradients, tested for temperature preferences and measured Bd growth,
prevalence, and the survival of infected animals. Although there was
significant individual- and species-level variation in temperature
preferences, we found no consistent evidence of behavioural fever across
five frog species. Interestingly, for species that preferred warmer
temperatures, the preferred temperatures of individuals were negatively
correlated with Bd growth on hosts, while the opposite correlation was
true for species preferring cooler temperatures. Our results suggest that
variation in thermal preference, but not behavioural fever, might shape
the outcomes of Bd infections for individuals and populations, potentially
resulting in selection for individual hosts and host species whose
temperature preferences minimize Bd growth and enhance host survival
during epidemics.