Female Reproductive Cycle of the Green Toad (Bufo boulengeri) from Northwestern Egypt

Mamdouh S. A. Akef

Abstract


The reproductive cycle of the green toad Bufo boulengeri from northwestern Egypt was studied from 2004 to 2008. Histological examinations revealed that the oogenetic cycle is of a continuous type. At the population level, the high frequency of ovipositors occurred in February as expressed by the presence of the postovulatory and atretic follicles. Females spawned from February to August. Large females lay at least two clutches per season, whereas small females laid single clutch at the end of the season. Sexual maturity attained at a body weight 13.8 g and a SVL 53.7 mm. Mature ovarian egg sizes averaged 1.19 mm and their number averaged 8240/100 g body weight. They showed the smallest mean values among green toad species inhabiting Mediterranean area. They exhibited positive relationship with maternal body weight, but not with SVL. Egg sizes in a clutch increased significantly with their number. Masses of livers and fat bodies declined during final vitellogenesis and at the final ovarian growth in January and April. This pattern demonstrates high energetic cost associated with reproduction at these periods. However, in summer, reproductive activities were more relying on liver than on fat bodies. Storage organ weights were smallest in August, at the end of the breeding period.

Keywords


reproductive cycle; fat bodies; liver body; clutches; Anura

Full Text:

PDF

References


Aubry A., Bécart E., Davenport J., and Emmerson M. C. (2010), «Estimation of survival rate and extinction probability for stage-structured populations with overlapping life stages,» Popul. Ecol., 52(3), 437 – 450.

Berger L. and Uzzell T. (1980), «The eggs of European water frogs (Rana esculenta complex) and their hybrids,» Folia Biol., 28, 3 – 25.

Bonnet X. and Naulleau G. Y. (1996), «Are body reserves important for reproduction in male dark green snakes (Colubridae: Coluber viridiflavus)?,» Herpetologica, 52(2), 137 – 146.

Castellano S., Cucco M., and Giacoma C. (2004), «Reproductive investment of female green toads (Bufo viridis),» Copeia, 2004, 659 – 664.

Denton J. S. and Beebee T. J. C. (1997), «Effects of predator interactions, prey palatability and habitat structure on survival of natterjack toad Bufo calamita larvae in replicated semi-natural ponds,» Ecography, 20, 166 – 174.

Díaz-Páez H. and Ortiz J. C. (2001), «The reproductive cycle of Pleurodema thaul (Anura, Leptodactylidae) in central Chile,» Amphibia–Reptilia, 22, 431 – 445.

Filippi E., Chetoui A., D’Alterio G. L., Parker G., and Woodfine T. (2011), «Bufo boulengeri: field observations on breeding phenology at a new Saharan site in southern Tunisia,» Herpetol. Notes, 4, 215 – 217.

Huang W. S., Cheng Y. S., and Tu H. Y. (2004), «Reproductive patterns of two sympatric ranid frogs, Rana latouchii and R. sauteri, with comments on anuran breeding seasons in Taiwan,» Coll. Res., 17, 1 – 10.

Jaeger R. G., Wicknick J. A., Griffis M. R., and Anthony C. D. (1995), «Socioecology of a terrestrial salamander: juveniles enter adult territories during stressful foraging periods,» Ecology, 76, 533 – 543.

Jørgensen C. B. (1981), «Ovarian cycle in a temperate zone frog, Rana temporaria, with special reference to factors determining number and size of eggs,» J. Zool. Lond., 195, 449 – 458.

Jørgensen C. B. (1984), «Ovarian functional patterns in Baltic and Mediterranean populations of a temperate zone anuran, the toad, Bufo viridis,» Oikos, 43, 309 – 321.

Kaplan R. H. (1980), «The implications of ovum size variability for offspring fitness and clutch size within several populations of salamanders (Ambystoma),» Evolution, 34, 51 – 64.

Kovács É. H. and Sas I. (2010), «Aspects of breeding activity of Bufo viridis in an urban habitat,» Biharean Biologist, 4(1), 73 – 77.

Kyriakopoulou-Sklavounou P. and Loumbourdis N. (1990), «Annual ovarian cycle in the frog, Rana ridibunda, in northern Greece,» J. Herpetol., 24, 185 – 191.

Kyriakopoulou-Sklavounou P. and Alexious B. (1994), «Distribution, morphology and reproductive biology of the toad Bufo viridis in northern Greece,» Bios (Macedonia, Greece), 2, 121 – 127.

Kyriakopoulou-Sklavounou P. (2000), «Adaptations of some amphibian species to Mediterranean environmental conditions,» Belg. J. Zool., 130, 109 – 113.

Lo Valvo M. and Giacalone G. (2005), «Dati e considerazioni sulla biologia riproduttiva della popolazione di Rospo smeraldino, Bufo viridis Laurenti, 1768, della Riserva Naturale di Monte Pellegrino (Palermo),» Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat., 6, 61 – 65.

Milanovich J. R., Trauth S. E., Saugey D. A., and Jordan R. R. (2006), «Fecundity, reproductive ecology, and influence of precipitation on clutch size in the western slimy salamander (Plethodon albagula),» Herpetologica, 62, 292 – 301.

Nevo E. and Schneider H. (1976), «Mating call pattern of green toads in Israel and its ecological correlate,» J. Zool. Lond., 178, 133 – 145.

Pramoda S. and Saidapur S. K. (1984), «Effect of fat body excision on vitellogenic growth of oocytes in Rana tigerina,» Boll. Zool., 51(3 – 4), 329 – 333.

Rastogi R. K., Izzo-Vitiello I., Di Meglio M., Di Matteo L., Franzese R., Di Costanzo M. G., Minucci S., Iela L., and Chieffi G. (1983), «Ovarian activity and reproduction in the frog, Rana esculenta,» J. Zool. Lond., 200, 233 – 247.

Reading C. J. (1986), «Egg production in the common toad, Bufo bufo,» J. Zool. Lond., 208, 99 – 107.

Reardon E. E. and Thibert-Plante X. (2010), «Optimal offspring size influenced by the interaction between dissolved oxygen and predation pressure,» Evol. Ecol. Res., 12, 377 – 387.

Rico M., Rocha C. F. D., Borges-Junior V. N. T., and Van Sluys M. (2004), «Breeding ecology of Scinax trapicheiroi (Anura, Hylidae) at a creek in the Atlantic Rainforest of Ilha Grande, southeastern Brazil,» Amphibia–Reptilia, 25, 277 – 286.

Sicilia A., Lillo F., Zava B., and Bernini F. (2006), «Breeding phenology of Bufo viridis Laurenti, 1768 in Sicily,» Acta Herpetol., 1(2), 107 – 117.

Stöck M., Sicilia A., Belfiore N. M., Bucley D., Lo Brutto S., Lo Valvo M., and Arculeo M. (2008), «Post-Messinian evolutionary relationships across the Sicilian channel: Mitochondrial and nuclear markers link a new green toad from Sicily to African relatives,» BWC Evol. Biol., 8(56), 1 – 19.

Tsiora A. and Kyriakopoulou-Sklavounou P. (2002). «Female reproductive cycle of the water frog Rana epeirotica in northwestern Greece,» Amphibia–Reptilia, 23, 269 – 280.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2013-20-2-97-104

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