Editorial: Emerging infections and diseases of herpetofauna

We are in the midst of a period of unprecedented global biodiversity declines, which has been dubbed the sixth mass extinction (1–3). While many factors are contributing to these extreme declines, habitat loss and anthropogenic environmental change appear to be the largest drivers for many vertebrates [e.g., mammals, (3)]. There are an increasing number of infectious agents being identified in both amphibians and reptiles around the globe, and more data links infection and disease for many of these emerging pathogens. Human activities also influence infectious disease epidemiology, with interactions between captive animals, those in trade, and wild animals affecting infection dynamics. One important factor in increasing our understanding of these interactions is a better overview of the infection status of both wild and captive amphibian and reptile populations and communities...