Age Structure and Growth in Caucasian Parsley Frog Pelodytes caucasicus (Boulenger, 1896) from Turkey

Ugur Cengiz Erişmiş, Huseyin Arıkan, Muhsin Konuk, Fabio Maria Guarino

Abstract


Age structure and growth of the Caucasian parsley frog, Pelodytes caucasicus from Turkey was assessed using phalangeal skeletochronology. Snout-vent length (SVL) ranged from 41.48 to 52.58 mm (mean ± SD: 47.16 ± 2.87, n = 44) in males and 40.28 to 50.62 mm (mean ± SD: 45.79 ± 2.29, n = 31) in females. Ages of adults ranged from 2 to 5 years in males (mean ± SD: 3.61 ± 0.9) and from 2 to 4 years (mean ± SD: 3.03 ± 0.7) in females. For both sexes, SVL was significantly correlated with age and maturity was attained at 2 years of age. Von Bertalanffy growth curves of age vs. SVL showed a similar profile between males (asymptotic size, SVLmax: 53.42 mm; growth coefficient k = 0.42) and female (SVLmax: 52.04 mm; k = 0.38). Adult annual survivorship and adult life expectancy were 0.78 and 5.04 years, respectively, in males; 0.76 and 4.66 years, respectively, in females. Comparison with Georgian populations of P. caucasicus suggests that sexual dimorphism in size and longevity is a species characteristic.

Keywords


age structure; growth curve; skeletochronology; Pelodytes caucasicus

Full Text:

PDF

References


Aleksandrovskaya T. O. and Kotova E. L. (1986), «Preliminary data on age characteristics of marsh frogs (Rana ridibunda Pallas) from three sites in Armenia», Tr. Zool. Inst. AN SSSR, 157, 177 – 181 [in Russian].

Arıkan H., Atatür M. K., and Tosunoğlu M. (2003), «A study on the blood cells of the Caucasus frog Pelodytes caucasicus», Zool. Middle East, 30, 43 – 47.

Arıkan H., Tosunoğlu M., Atatur M. K., and Goçmen B. (2007), «Some comments on the breeding biology of Pelodytes caucasicus Boulenger, 1896 (Anura: Pelodytidae) from Uzungöl Northeast Anatolia», Tur. J. Zool., 31, 53 – 64.

Baran I. and Atatür M. K. (1998), Turkish Herpetofauna. Amphibians and Reptiles, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Environment, Ankara.

Baran I., Tosunoğlu M., Kaya U., and Kumlutaş Y. (1997), «Çamlıhemşin civarının herpetofaunası hakkında [On the herpetofauna of the vicinity of Çamlıhemşin]», Tur. J. Zool., 21, 409 – 416 [in Turkish].

Basoğlu M., Özeti N., and Yılmaz İ. (1994), «Türkiye amfibileri E. Ü. [The amphibians of Turkey]», Fen Fakültesi Kitaplar Ser., No. 151, Bornova-İzmir [in Turkish].

Caetano M. H. and Castanet J. (1993), «Variability microevolutionary patterns in Triturus marmoratus from Portugal: age, size, longevity and individual growth», Amphibia–Reptilia, 14, 117 – 129.

Castanet J., Francillon-Vieillot H., Meunier F. J., and Ricqlès de A. (1993), Bone and Individual Aging, Bone CRC Press, London, pp. 245 – 283.

Cherry M. I. and Francillon-Vieillot H. (1992), «Body size, age and reproduction in the leopard toad, Bufo pardalis», J. Zool. Lond., 228, 41 – 50.

Chubinishvili T., Gokhelashvili R. K., and Tarkhnishvili D. N. (1995), «Population ecology of the Caucasian parsley frog (Pelodytes caucasicus Boulenger) in the Borjomi Canyon», Russ J. Herpetol., 2(2), 79 – 86.

Cogălniceanu D. and Miaud C. (2003), «Population age structure and growth in four syntopic amphibian species inhabiting a large river floodplain», Can. J. Zool., 81, 1096 – 1106.

Duellman W. E. and Trueb L. (1994), Biology of Amphibians, McGraw-Hill, New York.

Erişmiş U. C. (2005), Investigation of the Age – Length, Age – Weight, and Length – Weight Relations on Rana ridibunda (Anura: Ranidae) Populations of Lake District. Ph. D. Thesis, Ege University, Turkey.

Esteban M., Garcia-Paris G., and Castanet J. (1996), «Use of bone histology in estimating the age of frogs (Rana perezi) from a warm temperate climate area», Can. J. Zool., 74, 1914 – 1921.

Esteban M., Sánchez-Herráiz M. J., Barbadillo L. J., Castanet J., and Márquez R. (2002), «Effects of age, size and temperature on the advertisement calls in two Spanish populations of Pelodytes punctatus», Amphibia–Reptilia, 23, 249 – 258.

Esteban M., Sánchez-Herráiz M. J., Barbadillo L. J. and Castanet J. (2004), «Age structure and growth in an isolated population of Pelodytes punctatus in northern Spain», J. Nat. Hist., 38, 2789 – 2801.

Franzen M. (1999), «Verbreitung und Ökologie von Pelodytes caucasicus Boulenger 1896 in der Türkei», Salamandra, 35, 1 – 18.

Gibbons M. M. and McCarthy T. K. (1984), «Growth maturation and survival of frogs Rana temporaria L»., Hol. Ecol., 7, 419 – 427.

Gokhelashvili R. K. and Tarkhnishvili D. N. (1994), «Age structure of six Georgian anuran populations and its dynamics during two consecutive years (Anura)», Herpetozoa, 7, 11 – 18.

Golubev N. S. (1985), Kavkazskaya Krestovka Pelodytes caucasicus Boulenger (Rasprostranenie, Morfologiya, Ékologiya) [Pelodytes caucasicus Boulenger (Distribution, Morphology, Ecology)]. Author’s Abstract of Candidate’s Thesis, Zool. Inst. of USSR Acad. Sci., Leningrad [in Russian].

Guarino F. M., Angelini F., Giacoma C., and Cavallotto L. (1995), «Age determination by skeletochronology in low- and high-elevation populations of Rana italica», in: Llorente G. A., Montori A., Santos X., and Carretero M. A. (eds.), Scientia Herpetologica, AGAL, Barcelona, pp. 187 – 191.

Guarino F. M., Andreone F., and Angelini F. (1998), «Growth and longevity in Mantidactylus microtympanun, a rainforest anuran from southern Madagascar», Copeia, 1998, 194 – 198.

Guarino F. M., Lunardi S., Carlomagno M., and Mazzotti S. (2003), «A skeletochronological study of growth, longevity, and age at sexual maturity in a population of Rana latastei (Amphibia: Anura)», J. Biosci., 28, 775 – 782.

Guyétant R. (1997), «Pelodytes punctatus (Daudin, 1803)», in: Gasc J. P., Cabela A., Crnobrnja-Isailovic J., Grossenbacher K., Haffner P., Lescure J., Martens H., Martínez Rica J. P., Maurin H., Oliveira M. E., Sofianidou T. S., Veith M., and Zuiderwijk A.t(eds.),tAtlas of Amphibians and Reptiles in Europe, Soc. Eur. Herpetol. and Mus. Natl. d’Hist. Nat. (IEGB/SPN), Paris, pp. 116 – 117.

Halliday T. R. and Verrell P. A. (1988), «Body size and age in amphibians and reptiles», J. Herpetol., 22, 253 – 265.

Hemelaar A. S. M. (1985), «An improved method to estimate the number of year rings resorbed in phalanges of Bufo bufo (L.) and its application to population from different latitudes and altitudes», Amphibia–Reptilia, 6, 323 – 343.

Hemelaar A. S. M. (1988), «Age growth and other population characteristics of Bufo bufo from different latitudes and altitudes», J. Herpetol., 22, 369 – 388.

IUCN (2006), IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Available from www.iucnredlist.org.

Jorgensen C. B. (1992), «Growth and reproduction», in: Feder M. E. and Burrgreen W. W. (eds.), Environmental Physiology of the Amphibians, Chicago Univ. Press, Chicago, pp. 439 – 466.

Lai Y. C, Lee T. H., and Kham Y. C. (2005), «A skeletochronological study on a subtropical, riaparian ranid (Rana swinhoana) from different elevations in Taiwan», Zool. Sci., 22, 653 – 658.

Leclair R. Jr. and Castanet J. (1987), «A skeletochronological assessment of age and growth in the frog Rana pipiens Schreber (Amphibia, Anura) from South Western Quebec», Copeia, 1987, 361 – 369.

Leclair M. H., Leclair R. Jr., and Gallant J. (2005), «Application of skeletochronology to a population of Pelobates cultripes (Anura: Pelobatidae) from Portugal», J. Herpetol., 39, 199 – 200.

Lima V., Arntzen J. W., and Ferrand N. M. (2000), «Age structure and growth pattern in two populations of the golden-striped salamander Chioglossa lusitanica (Caudata Salamandra)», Amphibia–Reptilia, 22, 55 – 68.

Lykens D. V. and Forester D. C. (1987), «Age structure in the spring pepper: do males advertise longevity», Herpetologica, 43, 216 – 223.

Olgun K., Miaud C., and Gautier P. (2001), «Age, size and growth of the terrestrial salamander Mertensiella luschani in an arid environment», Can. J. Zool., 79, 1559 -1567.

Patón D., Juarranz A., Sequerosm E., Pérez-Campo R., López-Torres M., and Barja de Quiroga G. (1991), «Seasonal age and sex structure of Rana perezi assessed by skeletochronology», J. Herpetol., 25, 389 – 394.

Platz J. E., Lahtrop A., Hofbauer L., and Vradenburg M. (1997), «Age distribution and longevity in the ramsey canyon leopard frog, Rana subaquavocalis», J. Herpetol., 31, 552 – 557.

Reznick D. N. (1990), «Plasticity in age and size at maturity in male guppies (Poecilia reticulata): an experimental evaluation of alternative models of development», J. Evol. Biol., 3, 185 – 203.

Robson D. S. and Chapman D. G. (1961), «Catch curves and mortality rates», Trans. Am. Fish. Soc., 90, 181 – 189.

Ryser J. (1988), «Determination of growth and maturation in the common frog Rana temporaria, by skeletochronology», J. Zool. Lond., 216, 673 – 685.

Ryser J. (1996), «Comparative life histories of a low- and high-elevation population of the common frog, Rana temporaria», Amphibia–Reptilia, 17, 183 – 195.

Sánchez-Herráiz M. J., Barbadillo J., Machordom A., and Sanchez B. (2000), «A new species of Peloditid frog from the Iberian Peninsula», Herpetologica, 56, 105 – 118.

Seber G. A. F. (1973), The Estimation of Animal Abundance and Related Parameters, Griffin, London.

Seçmen Ö. and Leblebici E. (1997), «Türkiye Sulak Alan Bitkileri ve Bitki Örtüsü [Wetland plants and vegetation of Turkey]», E. Ü. Fen Fakültesi Yayınları, No. 158.

Smirina E. M. (1972), «Annual layers in bone of Rana temporaria», Zool. Zh., 51, 1529 – 1534 [in Russian, with English abstract].

Smirina E. M. (1994), «Age determination and longevity in amphibians», Gerontology, 40, 133 – 146.

SPSS (2004), SPSS User’s Guide. Version 10.0, Chicago, SPSS Inc.

Steiner H. M. (1968), «Pelodytes caucasicus Boulenger 1986 (Pelobatidae: Amphibia) in der Türkei», Ann. Nat. Hist. Mus. Wien, 72, 291 – 298.

Tarkhnishvili D. N. and Gokhelashvili R. K. (1999), The Amphibians of the Caucasus, Pensoft Publications, Sofia.

Tosunoğlu M. and Taskavak E. (2004), «A preliminary study on morphology and serology of Pelodytes caucasicus Boulenger 1896 populations from North-Eastern Turkey», Pak. J. Biol. Sci., 7, 1186 – 1190.

Tsiora A. and Kyriakopoulou-Sklavounou P. (2002), «A skeletochronological study of age and growth in relation to adult size in the water frog Rana epeirotica», Zoology, 105, 55 – 60.

Von Bertalanffy L. (1938), «A quantitative theory of organic growth», Hum. Biol., 10, 181 – 213.

Yılmaz N., Kutrup B., Çobanoğlu U., and Özoran Y. (2005), «Age determination and some growth parameters of a Rana ridibunda population in Turkey», Acta Zool. Acad. Sci. Hung., 51, 67 – 74.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2009-16-1-19-26

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


You can subscribe to the print or electronic version of the journal on the site of EastView Company. If you have any questions, please write to the email sales@ivis.ru