This cumulative thesis focuses on the study of amphibian chytrid pathogens (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans). It includes contributions from three different manuscripts, two of which have been published, while the third one is in the review process. The research presents the results of an effort to collect, organize and analyze data from published reports of infection. The first chapter discusses a framework for cryptic species and points out many of the problems that complicate the study of chytrid pathogens and their hosts (e.g. cryptic lineages and pseudoindigenous lineages). The second and third chapters focus on Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, respectively. These sections constitute the core of this thesis. In this work, data from reports of chytrid infection was systematically collected from over 600 publications and their supplementary materials. The analysis of the data provided information that individual reports could not, and allowed to identify over 1000 host species, including possible vectors of disease and threatened amphibian species. Furthermore, the overlapping distribution of infected species revealed information on areas suitable for the pathogen. The database resulting from this work is also a useful tool to prioritize the areas that need to be intensively studied in the future and to implement conservation measures.
