Interpopulation Variation in Growth and Puberty Rate of Moor Frog Males (Rana arvalis Nilsson, 1842)
E. A. BAYTIMIROVA1, V. L. VERSHININ1,2
1Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, UrB RAS, 620144, Ekaterinburg, 8 Marta str., 202
2Ural Federal University nаmed after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, 620002, Ekaterinburg, Mira str., 19
Keywords: амфибии, остромордая лягушка, рост, годовой прирост, скелетохронология, минерализация вод, гидрохимия, amphibians, moor frog, growth, annual growth, skeletochronology, water salinity, water chemistry
Abstract
With a view to identifying interpopulational peculiarities of moor frog male growth and puberty, we have analyzed age composition, body sizes, and annual growth of amphibians inhabiting three water reservoirs with various hydrochemical composition. In all, 117 pubescent males aged from 2 to 6 were studied. As established, ambient surface water salinity in the Middle Urals is 150 mg/dm3 in the springtime. Interannual variations of salinity in the reservoirs under study are linked with changing sulphate content. It has been noted that water salinity up to 300 mg/dm3 during the spawning season shall not be viewed as a negative aspect restricting growth of moor frogs. Relatively early puberty of moor frog males occurs under close-to-optimal conditions and is followed by redistribution of energy towards reproductive processes along with growth retardation of amphibia.
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