Michelle D. Boone
2005
<div class="div0"><div class="row ArticleContentRow"><p id="ID0EF" class="first">I reared four species of anurans (<i><span class="genus-species">Rana sphenocephala</span></i><span> </span>[Southern Leopard Frog],<span> </span><i><span class="genus-species">Rana blairi</span></i><span> </span>[Plains Leopard Frog],<span> </span><i><span class="genus-species">Rana clamitans</span></i><span> </span>[Green Frog], and<span> </span><i><span class="genus-species">Bufo woodhousii</span></i><span> </span>[Woodhouse's Toad]) for seven to 12 months in small, outdoor terrestrial enclosures (1 × 2 m) to examine the consequences of larval competition (via density) and contaminant exposure (via the insecticide carbaryl). I added six<span> </span><i><span class="genus-species">Rana clamitans</span></i>, eight<span> </span><span class="genus-species">R<i>ana sphenocephala</i></span>, eight<span> </span><i><span class="genus-species">Rana blairi</span></i>, and 10<span> </span><i><span class="genus-species">Bufo woodhousii</span></i><span> </span>to terrestrial enclosures shortly after metamorphosis and recaptured them during the following spring. All anurans from low-density ponds were significantly larger than those from high-density ponds, but these size differences did not significantly affect survival to or size at spring emergence. However,<span> </span><i><span class="genus-species">R. sphenocephala</span></i>,<span> </span><i><span class="genus-species">R. blairi</span></i>, and<span> </span><i><span class="genus-species">R. clamitans</span></i><span> </span>that survived to spring had been larger at metamorphosis on average than those that did not survive; in contrast,<span> </span><i><span class="genus-species">B. woodhousii</span></i><span> </span>that survived the winter were smaller at metamorphosis on average than those that did not survive. Carbaryl exposure affected mass at metamorphosis of<span> </span><i><span class="genus-species">R. clamitans</span></i><span> </span>and<span> </span><i><span class="genus-species">B. woodhousii</span></i><span> </span>that were added to enclosures, but this difference disappeared or did not increase by spring emergence. Overall, exposure to carbaryl during the larval period did not have any apparent effects on survival or growth during the terrestrial phase. In my study, anurans were able to offset small size at metamorphosis with terrestrial growth, although there was a trend of reduced overwinter survival for ranid species that metamorphosed at a smaller size.</p></div></div>
application/pdf
10.1670/187-04A.1
en
Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
Juvenile frogs compensate for small metamorph size with terrestrial growth: Overcoming the effects of larval density and insecticide exposure
article