Records on malformations in Bufo bufo, Bufotes viridis and Bombina bombina from the Czech Republic

Developmental anomalies and malformations in amphibians serve as a marker of extreme or unstable environmental conditions and can affect the reproduction and viability of amphibians. In the Czech Republic, anomalies were reported for amphibians from the Elbe and the Danube rivers basins, but not from the Oder River. Here, we report anomalies in three anuran species, i.e., in Bufo bufo (n = 250), Bufotes viridis (n = 13) and Bombina bombina (n = 24), from the Oder River Basin (Czech Republic). We found eight types of anomalies in 16 out of the 287 individuals analyzed (six types of limb malformations and two anomalies of coloration). The most frequent malformation recorded in all the three species was brachydactyly. Flavism was found in Bufo bufo and Bufotes viridis, while all the remaining malformations were recorded only in Bufo bufo. The monitoring of the number and types of malformations in different populations is crucial in the light of emerging disease threats to European amphibians.