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Results.—Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis was detected in15.1% (31 of 205) of samples from Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs(Table 1). Within infected sites, prevalence of infection was generallylow (18.8 ± 9.8%; Table 1). We did not detect B.dendrobatidis at seven sites but all of these localities had relativelysmall sample sizes. In all sites where more than ten frogswere sampled, B. dendrobatidis was detected (Table 1). No dead,dying or obviously diseased frogs were found at any of the investigatedsites.Infected frogs were found in Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois,and Oklahoma (but not in any of the five samples from Kansas;Table 1). There was no obvious geographic pattern in infection.Infection rates did not differ significantly at longitudes greaterand less than 90°W or 88°W (χ 2 = 1.281, df = 1, P = 0.258; χ 2 =1.130, df = 1, P = 0.288, respectively). Prevalence of infectionalso did not differ significantly at latitudes greater and less than38° N (χ 2 = 1.407, df = 1, P = 0.236), 40°N (χ 2 = 0.784, df = 1, P =0.376), or 42°N (χ 2 = 0.136, df = 1, P = 0.712). The prevalence ofinfection did not differ significantly between samples obtained byskin swabbing and those from tissue samples (χ 2 = .273, df = 1, P= .0602).Discussion.—We document the widespread presence of B.dendrobatidis in populations of Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs in themidwestern United States. Although B. dendrobatidis is nowknown from captive situations (Zippel and Tabaka 2008), to ourknowledge, this is the first documented case of B. dendrobatidisinfection in cricket frogs from wild populations. However, no mortalitywas found or reported in these infected, yet seemingly healthycricket frogs. Additionally, we have mark-recapture data from oneof these populations since 2004 (St. Marys Fish Hatchery, Ohio;R. Lehtinen, unpubl. data). This population has maintained a largeand relatively stable population size over the last four years (2004–2007), despite B. dendrobatidis infection. In this respect, our resultsparallel Ouellet et al. (2005) who found B. dendrobatidis tobe enzootic in Quebec with no symptoms associated with infection.It is possible that Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs utilize antimicrobialskin peptides (Woodhams et al. 2006) or behavioral thermoregulation(Woodhams et al. 2003) as defenses against B.dendrobatidis, but these possibilities have yet to be investigated.While preliminary, our data suggest that Blanchard’s Cricket Frogpopulations are able to persist in the face of ongoing B.dendrobatidis infection (e.g., Daszak et al. 2005; Retallick et al.2004).We found B. dendrobatidis to have no obvious geographic patternof occurrence. In fact, B. dendrobatidis was present at everysite where ten or more samples were available. These data reinforcethe observations of others that B. dendrobatidis appears tobe widespread in North America (Longcore et al. 2007; Ouellet etal. 2005; Pearl et al. 2007). Importantly, we detected B.dendrobatidis both in areas where Blanchard’s Cricket Frog declineshave occurred (Ohio, Michigan, northern Illinois) as wellas where declines have not been reported (Oklahoma, southernIllinois). The apparent absence of declines in more southerly partsof the range suggests that B. dendrobatidis may not be solely responsiblefor recent population declines in Blanchard’s CricketFrogs further north. However, more northerly populations couldbe more vulnerable to infection since B. dendrobatidis grows bestin cooler temperatures (Longcore et al. 1999) and the amphibianimmune system functions most effectively at higher temperatures(Maniero and Carey 1997). The declines in the northern portionsof the range could also have resulted from earlier declines causedby B. dendrobatidis that have now stabilized. Similar patterns ofpersistence with B. dendrobatidis after initial declines are known(Retallick et al. 2004; Woodhams and Alford 2005). More work isclearly needed to assess what threat (if any) B. dendrobatidis infectionposes to Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs.Many records of B. dendrobatidis infection in North Americananurans are from ranid and bufonid frogs (e.g., Ouellet et al. 2005;Pearl et al. 2007). Fewer hylid species have been reported to beinfected. Using histological techniques, Ouellet et al. (2005) reportedB. dendrobatidis infection in Pseudacris triseriata (54 outof 143 individuals) and Hyla versicolor (1 out of 16). However,Longcore et al. (2007) found no infection in Hyla versicolor (0out of 50), or Pseudacris crucifer (0 out of 21). Pearl et al. (2007)also found no infections in Pseudacris regilla (0 out of 28) in thePacific Northwest. Our results with Acris crepitans (31 out of 205)suggest that B. dendrobatidis may be more widely distributed inNorth American hylids than previously suspected.Acknowledgments.—We thank Dean Fraga for help with laboratoryprocedures and Nate Busman for help in the field. Janalee Caldwell, JeffDavis, Tony Gamble, Karen Kinkead, Chris Phillips, and Edi Sonntagcollected and sent us cricket frog skin swabs or tissue samples from theirrespective study areas and they have our sincere thanks for making theseavailable. We thank Corinne Richards for supplying the zoospores for thepositive control and the protocols for the skin swab DNA extraction procedure.We thank the Henry J. Copeland Fund and the Biology Departmentat the College of Wooster for funding this project which was a seniorIndependent Study project by the lead author. The Institutional AnimalCare and Use Committee at the College of Wooster approved themethods used in this project. Cricket frogs were captured in Ohio underpermit 06-266 from the Ohio Division of Wildlife and in Michigan undera scientific collector’s permit from the Michigan Department of NaturalResources.LITERATURE CITEDANNIS, S. L., F. P. DASTOOR, H. ZIEL, P. DASZAK, AND J. E. LONGCORE. 2004. ADNA-based assay identifies Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in amphibians.J. Wildl. Diseases 40:420–428.BEASLEY, V. R., S. A. FAEH, B. WIKOFF, C. STAEHLE, J. EISOLD, D. NICHOLS,R. COLE, A. M. SCHOTTHOEFER, M. GREENWELL, AND L. E. BROWN. 2005.Risk factors and declines in northern cricket frogs (Acris crepitans). InM. J. Lannoo (ed.), Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status ofUnited States Species, pp. 75–86. University of California Press, Berkeley.BERGER, L., SPEARE, R., DASZAK, P., GREEN, D. E., CUNNINGHAM, A. A.,GOGGIN, C. L., SLOCOMBE, R., RAGAN, M. A., HYATT, A. D., MCDONALD,K. R., HINES, H. B., LIPS, K. R., MARANTELLI, G., AND H. PARKES. 1998.Chytridiomycosis causes amphibian mortality associated with populationdeclines in the rain forests of Australia and Central America. PNAS95:9031–9036.BRODMAN, R., AND M. KILMURRY. 1998. Status of amphibians in northwesternIndiana. In M. J. Lannoo (ed.), Status and Conservation ofMidwestern Amphibians, pp. 125–136. University of Iowa Press, IowaCity.DASZAK, P., D. E. SCOTT, A. M. KILPATRICK, C. FAGGIONI, J. W. GIBBONS,AND D. PORTER. 2005. Amphibian population declines at Savannah Riversite are linked to climate, not chytridiomycosis. Ecology 86:3232–3237.GRAY, R. H., AND L. E. BROWN. 2005. Decline of northern cricket frogs(Acris crepitans). In M. J. Lannoo (ed.), Amphibian Declines: TheHerpetological Review 39(2), 2008 195