To determine the status of Korean wild reptiles and amphibians infection and relation with climate change of Korean peninsula, references were reviewed. Wild animals serve as intermediate, reservoirs and paratenic hosts to zoonotic parasites of human beings. The parasites and disease can be a serious problem for all herptiles. The infectious diseases, in particular, become parasitized through contact with other reptiles or contaminated objects and environments, or by eating infected food items. Worms are one of the most common intestinal parasites. Among reptiles, the most common infections are flatworms (trematodes), roundworms (nematodes), tapeworms (cestodes), and spiny-headed worms (acanthocephalans). A total of 20 species for infectious diseases from Korean wild reptiles and amphibians has been reviewed. Among them, 11 species was amphibians and 9 species for reptiles. The Korean wild herptiles had total 41 kinds of parasite pathogenic organisms. Meximum infections belonged to Rana nigromaculata as amphibians had 22 kinds of parasite organisms, including Gorgodera aponica, Gorgodera bombinae, Diplodiscus japonicus, Haematoloechus sibiricus japonicus, Pleurogenoides japonicus, Haematoloechus nanchangensis, Haematoloechus variegatus, Haematoloechus lobatus koreanus, Neodiplostomum seoulense, Halipergus japonicus, Haematolechus japonicus, Loxogenes liberum, Baerttia japonica, Ophiotaenia manae, Oswardcruzia lualata, Icosiella kobayashi, Pharyngodon pobypedates, Gyrinicola japonica, Catadiseus sp., Ophisthodiseus sp., Diplorchis sp., and Sparganum. Also, Dinodon rufozonatum as reptiles had 5 kinds of parasite, including Cotylaspis coreensis, Cotylaspis sinensis, Cephalogonimus japonicus, Astiotrema reniferum, Astiotrema odheri, Kaurma orientalis, and Astiotrema sp.. In the future, under the climatic extremes on Korean peninsula such as floods, drought and temperature variability, in particular, the susceptibility of amphibian and reptiles to infection will be increased and they have implications for the emergence of disease and the potential for climate change to exacerbate amphibian decline.

• 박갑만(관동대학교 의과대학 환경의생물학교실) | Gab-Man Park Corresponding Author