Abstract
ESR Endangered Species Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials ESR 27:43-51 (2015) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00648 Chilled frogs are hot: hibernation and reproduction of the Endangered mountain yellow-legged frog Rana muscosa Frank E. Santana1,2, Ronald R. Swaisgood1,*, Jeffrey M. Lemm1, Robert N. Fisher3, Rulon W. Clark2 1San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA 92027, USA 2Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182, USA 3US Geological Survey, San Diego Field Station, 4165 Spruance Road, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92101, USA *Corresponding author: rswaisgood@sandiegozoo.org ABSTRACT: In the face of the sixth great extinction crisis, it is imperative to establish effective breeding protocols for amphibian conservation breeding programs. Captive efforts should not proceed by trial and error, nor should they jump prematurely to assisted reproduction techniques, which can be invasive, difficult, costly, and, at times, counterproductive. Instead, conservation practitioners should first look to nature for guidance, and replicate key conditions found in nature in the captive environment, according to the ecological and behavioral requirements of the species. We tested the effect of a natural hibernation regime on reproductive behaviors and body condition in the Endangered mountain yellow-legged frog Rana muscosa. Hibernation had a clear positive effect on reproductive behavior, manifesting in vocal advertisement signaling, female receptivity, amplexus, and oviposition. These behaviors are critical components of courtship that lead to successful reproduction. Our main finding was that captive R. muscosa require a hibernation period for successful reproduction, as only hibernated females produced eggs and only hibernated males successfully fertilized eggs. Although hibernation also resulted in a reduced body condition, the reduction appeared to be minimal with no associated mortality. The importance of hibernation for reproduction is not surprising, since it is a major component of the conditions that R. muscosa experiences in the wild. Other amphibian conservation breeding programs can also benefit from a scientific approach that tests the effect of natural ecological conditions on reproduction. This will ensure that captive colonies maximize their role in providing genetic reservoirs for assurance and reintroduction efforts. KEY WORDS: Hibernation · Amphibian · Assurance colony · Captive breeding · Reproductive behavior Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Santana FE, Swaisgood RR, Lemm JM, Fisher RN, Clark RW (2015) Chilled frogs are hot: hibernation and reproduction of the Endangered mountain yellow-legged frog Rana muscosa . Endang Species Res 27:43-51. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00648 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in ESR Vol. 27, No. 1. Online publication date: February 11, 2015 Print ISSN: 1863-5407; Online ISSN: 1613-4796 Copyright © 2015 Inter-Research.
Highlights
Amphibians throughout the world are in decline, with 41% of the world’s 6638 known amphibian species threatened with extinction (Hoffmann et al 2010)
Captive management that looks to nature and species’ ecological requirements for guidance can reduce time wasted on trial-and-error learning and can expedite establishment of successful reproduction (Hosey et al 2009)
The 24 hibernated frogs (16 females and 8 males) were housed at 4°C for a period of 60 d. This temperature was chosen because previous experiments on Rana muscosa (Bradford 1983) demonstrated it as safe and sufficient to induce physiological changes associated with hibernation
Summary
Amphibians throughout the world are in decline, with 41% of the world’s 6638 known amphibian species threatened with extinction (Hoffmann et al 2010). Conservation breeding in captivity is an important tool used to protect endangered amphibians from the immediate threat of extinction and pro-. Endang Species Res 27: 43–51, 2015 is often difficult because establishment of ex situ programs is delayed until in situ populations are approaching extinction, and breeding efforts are compromised by a dearth of knowledge about reproductive biology (Zippel et al 2011). Captive management that looks to nature and species’ ecological requirements for guidance can reduce time wasted on trial-and-error learning and can expedite establishment of successful reproduction (Hosey et al 2009). Invasive attempts at artificial reproduction can sometimes run counter to conservation breeding goals because handling of sensitive species can negatively impact health and survival (Waggener & Carroll 1998, Byrne & Silla 2010, Roth et al 2010). Animal welfare and conservation goals sometimes conflict (Wall 2010), but in conservation breeding and reintroduction programs, efforts to enhance individual animal welfare can enhance conservation outcomes (Swaisgood 2007, 2010)
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