Growth of Brown Frogs of Fauna of Russia: Some Problems of Study of Growth in Amphibians

V. G. Ishchenko

Abstract


The growth of some brown frogs (Rana temporaria, R. arvalis, R. macrocnemis, R. dalmatina, R. asiatica, R. amurensis, R. dybowskii, R. pirica) was studied using skeletochronological method. Comparison of correlations between body size and absolute age evaluated as numbers of wintering has revealed different situations. The curves of growth in the populations of different geographical zones can cross «chaotically», without any obvious geographical regularity: either they coincide, or the growth curves in a population with the greater life time can be a prolongation of a growth curve of population with a shorter lifetime. In some cases growth curves can be parallel or congruent. The interpretation of the results in many cases is difficult as the duration of the period of activity in different populations may differ sharply or, on contrary, may vary and may be overlapped significantly. Therefore, the comparison of growth curves, based on age in months is preferable and it allows obtaining unusual results. The usage of biocoenotic data appears to be more interesting. The comparative analysis of species-specific differences in growth, taking into account geographical and especially various intrapopulation variation is necessary for the assessment of the role of the different factors determining growth in amphibians.

Keywords


amphibians; frogs; growth; skeletochronology

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2005-12-0-153-157

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