Welfare Indices in Anurans under Human Care
Certain species within the order Anura are relatively new in the context of exotic animals as pets, and the precise conditions required for their optimal care and well-being are still not well understood. This knowledge gap highlights the crucial need to develop effective strategies to measjournal oure the welfare of these animals. To address this […]
Body Size Is Related to Temperature Preference in Hyla chrysoscelis Tadpoles
Temperature plays a critical role in growth and development of anurans. Here, we investigated thermal preference of tadpoles from a wide-ranging anuran, Hyla chrysoscelis, by establishing an ex situ thermal gradient in a laboratory setting. We collected 64 tadpoles with a mean (±SD) body length of 12.2 ± 2.1 mm (range, 7–15 mm). Mean temperature […]
COSEWIC status report on the Great Plains toad Bufo cognatus in Canada in COSEWIC assessment and status report on the great plains toad Bufo cognatus in Canada
Executive Summary: The Great Plains toad, Bufo cognatus, is a widely-distributed species in western North America. In Canada, it is restricted to south-eastern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, and extreme south-western Manitoba where it is associated with mixed-grass prairie. Bufo cognatus is a grassland anuran adapted to survive and breed under xeric conditions. Fossorial habits and relatively […]
The amphibian auditory system as a model for neurobiology, behavior, and evolution
Multimodal Communication in the Panamanian Golden Frog (Atelopus Zeteki)
Animals may combine different types of signals (e.g. acoustic, visual, etc.) for multimodal communication. Anuran amphibians (frogs and toads) are well known for their use of acoustic signals in communication. Some anurans also may use visual signals for this purpose. The genus Atelopus (family Bufonidae) produces conspicuous movements of the forelimb and forefoot (semaphores) and […]
Applied reproductive technologies and genetic resource banking for amphibian conservation
As amphibian populations continue to decline, both government and non-government organisations are establishing captive assurance colonies to secure populations deemed at risk of extinction if left in the wild. For the most part, little is known about the nutritional ecology, reproductive biology or husbandry needs of the animals placed into captive breeding programs. Because of […]
Intracelomic use of tricaine methanesulfonate for anesthesia of bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) and leopard frogs (Rana pipiens)
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430110404.abs The use of intracelomic injection of dissolved tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) as an anesthetic agent in two anuran species was studied. Intracelomic MS-222, at dosages of 100, 250, and 400 mg/kg, rapidly induced tranquilization or anesthesia. Effects were less pronounced or nonexistent at the 50 mg/kg dosage. Depth and duration of anesthesia were dosage […]
Cheating for sex: inherent disadvantage or energetic constraint?
In many species, some males gain access to females by cheating, i.e. by exploiting the reproductive investment made by other males. There are two main nonmutually exclusive hypotheses to explain the decision of an individual to switch from the classical reproductive tactic to the parasitic one: the inherent disadvantage and energetic constraint hypotheses. For the […]
Steroid hormone levels in calling males and males practicing alternative non-calling mating tactics in the green treefrog, Hyla cinerea
Abstract Circulating glucocorticoids and androgens often figure prominently in mating tactic expression in vertebrates. In anuran amphibians (frogs and toads), for example, recent models predict that the depletion of energy reserves during vocalization will result in increased glucocorticoid levels; high glucocorticoids are expected to negatively affect androgen level to mediate transitions from calling to non-calling […]
The quality and fertility of sperm collected from European common frog (Rana temporaria) carcasses refrigerated for up to 7 days
There is a catastrophic decrease in the biodiversity of amphibians coupled with the loss of genetic variation. The perpetuation of amphibian biodiversity demands a multifaceted approach, including the use of reproduction technologies (RTs), to enable efficient reproduction in captivity and to prevent the loss of genetic variation. Reproduction technologies for the storage of amphibian sperm […]