Age Structure and Growth in the Lataste’s Toad, Bufotes latastii (Anura: Bufonidae)

Sergey Marlenovich Lyapkov, Artem Aleksandrovich Kidov, Irina Vladimirovna Stepankova, Kirill Aleksandrovich Afrin, Spartak Nikolaevich Litvinchuk

Abstract


The paper provided the first data about age structure and growth of the Lataste’s toad, Bufotes latastii (Boulenger, 1882), from the Jammu and Kashmir State (India). The study of age structure of toads was carried out using skeletochronology. The minimal and maximal ages in males of B. latastii were 3 and 10 years, respectively, with mean age of 6.0 years. The majority of males (70%) were 5 or 6 years old. The age in females ranged from 4 to 10 years with mean value of 5.9 years. The majority of females (71%) were 4 – 6 years old. Males of B. latastii can reach maturation after three winterings and females after four winterings. The body length increment in males is 3.6 times, whereas in females is 3.7 – 4.0 times. After maturation, the growth rate is retarded and the individuals of different ages did not differ in its body length. In spite of maximal age of 10 years in both sexes, the largest male was 5 years old and the largest female was 4 years old.

Keywords


the Lataste’s toad; Bufotes latastii; age; growth; skeletochronology

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2020-27-3-165-171

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