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Effects Of Echinostoma Trivolvis Metacercariae Infection During Development And Metamorphosis Of The Wood Frog (Lithobates Sylvaticus), Sarah A. Orlofske, Lisa K. Belden, William A. Hopkins

Biology Faculty Publications

Many organisms face energetic trade-offs between defense against parasites and other host processes that may determine overall consequences of infection. These trade-offs may be particularly evident during unfavorable environmental conditions or energetically demanding life history stages. Amphibian metamorphosis, an ecologically important developmental period, is associated with drastic morphological and physiological changes and substantial energetic costs. Effects of the trematode parasite Echinostoma trivolvis have been documented during early amphibian development, but effects during later development and metamorphosis are largely unknown. Using a laboratory experiment, we examined the energetic costs of late development and metamorphosis coupled with E. trivolvis infection in wood …