The fate of a population of the endemic frog Leiopelma pakeka (Anura: Leiopelmatidae) translocated to restored habitat on Maud Island, New Zealand

Abstract

We assess the fate of 100 Leiopelma pakeka transferred in two batches from remnant forest on Maud Island to a new site at Boat Bay, 0.5 km away, in 1984–85. Seventy of the original 100 individual frogs were recaptured, plus 35 young recruits into the population. The 43 frogs released in 1984 settled closer to the release site than did the 57 released a year later, suggesting that many of the later arrivals avoided sites already occupied by frogs. Boat Bay frogs became heavier than frogs in the source population, presumably a reflection of lower population density and greater per capita food supply. Numbers declined initially, but the frog population remained relatively stable after losses of founder individuals began to be offset by local recruitment. The mean annual survival rate after initial settlement was high (97%), indicating an average life expectancy of 33 years.