The dynamics of parasite-host interactions represent an aspect of ecosystem research that has recently attracted increasing scientific attention. While parasites were previously studied mainly in the context of veterinary medicine or zoonoses, their consideration as integral components of ecosystems and food webs is now regarded as essential for understanding ecological processes.
Amphibians were among the first vertebrates to be examined for their parasites; however, such investigations have largely declined in recent decades, particularly in the context of the ongoing global amphibian decline. Collecting a sufficient number of host specimens is now often impossible without jeopardizing populations or conflicting with conservation measures. Consequently, a knowledge gap has emerged in Europe regarding amphibian parasitology. This gap is characterized by outdated taxonomy, a lack of molecular data, and insufficient knowledge of intermediate hosts, leaving the field behind studies on other freshwater organisms. Amphibians, however, serve as important definitive and intermediate hosts for a wide range of parasites, especially parasitic worms (helminths), and often form an ecological bridge between aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
With the new threat posed by chytrid fungi and the advent of non-invasive and molecular methods for monitoring organisms, interest in amphibian parasitology has been rekindled. The parasite fauna of the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra), has so far been investigated only sporadically, often based on few individuals from isolated populations. Studies of wild populations in Germany date back primarily to the early 20th century. Considering the species’ wide distribution, unique life history, numerous subspecies, and isolated populations, a comprehensive study of its parasite fauna would be of great scientific interest.