Breeding Ecology and Larval Development of Marsh Frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus s.l.) from East Mediterranean, Türkiye

Year 2023, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 65 - 72, 30.06.2023

Yusuf Bayrakcı , Kerim Çiçek

https://doi.org/10.31594/commagene.1252448

Cited By: 2

Abstract

Reproductive biology of Marsh frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus s.l.) was investigated in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of Türkiye in terms of reproductive phenology, fecundity, clutch size, reproductive effort, and mate choice. Frogs are active for approximately ten months throughout the year and hibernate between November and January. Breeding occurs from mid-January until early June and metamorphosis took 45-65 days, with juveniles observed from the end of March. The tadpole reaches its largest size at stage 38, with a mean total length of 60.61 mm and juveniles have an average snout-vent length of 20 mm at the end of metamorphosis. Secondary sexual characters can be observed on individuals reaching 45 mm snout-vent length and we could not detect any amplexed pairs below this length. The clutch size of spawned egg masses ranged between 144 – 645 and the mean egg size was calculated as 1.73 mm. The mean fecundity was 3853 (ranging between 940 and 6000) eggs and the reproductive effort was 0.094 in females. Females were approximately 16% larger than males and the snout–vent length of males and females of amplexed pairs is significantly different but not correlated. These findings signify random mating instead of size-assortative mating. However, the preference of 6.8% larger females than single ones to mate indicates a size-dependent mating for Western Mediterranean population.

Keywords

Reproductive phenology, reproductive effort, fecundity, clutch size, mate selection, interspecific amplexus

Supporting Institution

TÜBİTAK, EBİLTEM

Project Number

112T913, 2013/BİL/013

Thanks

This study was financially supported by TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Project number: 112T913) and EBİLTEM (Ege University Science and Technology Centre, Project number: 2013/BİL/013).

Doğu Akdeniz, Türkiye'deki Su Kurbağalarının (Pelophylax ridibundus-complex) Üreme Ekolojisi ve Larval Gelişimi

Abstract

Anadolu su kurbağalarının (Pelophylax ridibundus s.l.) üreme biyolojisi, üreme fenolojisi, fekundite, yumurta kümesi büyüklüğü, üreme çabası ve eş seçimi açısından Türkiye'nin Doğu Akdeniz Bölgesi'nde incelenmiştir. Kurbağalar yıl boyunca yaklaşık on ay aktiftir, Kasım ve Ocak ayları arasında kış uykusuna yatar. Üreme Ocak ortasından Haziran başına kadar gerçekleşir. Metamorfoz süresi 45 – 65 gün olarak belirlenmiş ve Mart ayı sonundan itibaren metamorfozunu tamamlamış yavrular gözlenmiştir. İribaşlar, ortalama 60,61 mm total uzunluk ile 38. aşamada en büyük boyutuna ulaşır. Yavrular metamorfoz sonunda ortalama 20 mm burun ucu-kloak uzunluğuna sahiptir. 45 mm burun ucu-kloak uzunluğuna sahip bireylerde ikincil eşeysel karakterler gözlenebilir ve bu uzunluğun altında herhangi bir ampleksus çifti tespit edilmemiştir. Bırakılan yumurta kümelerinin yumurta sayısı 144 - 645 arasında değişmektedir ve ortalama yumurta boyutu 1.73 mm olarak hesaplanmıştır. Dişilerde ortalama fekundite 3853 (940 ile 6000 arasında) yumurta ve üreme çabası 0.094 olarak hesaplanmıştır. Dişiler erkeklerden yaklaşık %16 daha büyüktür ve ampleksustaki erkek ve dişilerin burun ucu-kloak uzunluğu önemli ölçüde farklıdır ancak aralarında bir korelasyon yoktur. Bu bulgular büyüklük-sınıflamalı çiftleşme yerine rastgele çiftleşmenin gerçekleştiğini, bunun yanında, çiftleşmek için çiftleşmeyen dişilere oranla %6.8 daha büyük dişilerin tercih edilmesi Batı Akdeniz popülasyonu için büyüklük-bağımlı çiftleşmenin gerçekleştiğini işaret etmektedir.

Keywords

üreme fenolojisi, üreme çabası, fekundite, yumurta kümesi, eş seçimi, türlerarası ampleksus

Project Number

112T913, 2013/BİL/013

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