scholarly journals Effects of Topography and Anthropogenic Alterations in Forest Environments on the Breeding Use by Two Endangered Frog Species in Amami-Oshima Island

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Noriko Iwai
2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  

The Taal Volcano Protected Landscape (TVPL) encompasses a prehistoric volcano caldera that caters to many documented endemic species. Although regarded as a unique area with the potential to house a diverse ecological community, biodiversity research in TVPL is still found wanting. The present paper aims to provide baseline information and increase research interests on the herpetofaunal diversity of TVPL, in light of its many undocumented terrestrial faunal species. Twelve study sites within the municipalities of Tanauan, Mataasnakahoy, and Balete were visited during survey trips from May to November 2015. A combination of transect and opportunistic sampling techniques were utilized, with morphometric data and sexual maturity recorded for each specimen collected. This preliminary survey provided 24 newly documented species of amphibians and reptiles occurring within TVPL. A total 10 frog species (from families Bufonidae, Ceratobatrachidae, Microhylidae, Dicroglossidae, Ranidae, and Rhacophoridae) and 14 reptile species (from families Agamidae, Gekkonidae, Scincidae, Varanidae, Acrochordidae, Colubridae, Elapidae, and Tryonychidae) were documented. Of the reptiles recorded, 3 are endemic species and widespread throughout the Philippines: Gekko mindorensis, Hydrosaurus pustulatus, and Draco spilopterus. Also recorded were the Philippine endemic frogs Kaloula picta and Limnonectes woodworthi along with the Luzon endemics Platymantis mimulus and Varanus marmoratus. The species-effort curve of amphibians showed a distinct plateau whereas the species-effort curve of reptiles has shown an increasing trend suggesting that additional sampling efforts should be done in the area to further increase knowledge of the TVPL herpetofaunal diversity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 207 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-98
Author(s):  
Hiromitsu Awano ◽  
Masahiro Shirasaka ◽  
Takeshi Mizumoto ◽  
Hiroshi G. Okuno ◽  
Ikkyu Aihara

BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongying Wang ◽  
Qixuan Wang ◽  
Hao Wu ◽  
Zhiwu Huang

Abstract Background Prestin (SLC26A5) is responsible for acute sensitivity and frequency selectivity in the vertebrate auditory system. Limited knowledge of prestin is from experiments using site-directed mutagenesis or domain-swapping techniques after the amino acid residues were identified by comparing the sequence of prestin to those of its paralogs and orthologs. Frog prestin is the only representative in amphibian lineage and the studies of it were quite rare with only one species identified. Results Here we report a new coding sequence of SLC26A5 for a frog species, Rana catesbeiana (the American bullfrog). In our study, the SLC26A5 gene of Rana has been mapped, sequenced and cloned successively using RNA-Seq. We measured the nonlinear capacitance (NLC) of prestin both in the hair cells of Rana’s inner ear and HEK293T cells transfected with this new coding gene. HEK293T cells expressing Rana prestin showed electrophysiological features similar to that of hair cells from its inner ear. Comparative studies of zebrafish, chick, Rana and an ancient frog species showed that chick and zebrafish prestin lacked NLC. Ancient frog’s prestin was functionally different from Rana. Conclusions We mapped and sequenced the SLC26A5 of the Rana catesbeiana from its inner ear cDNA using RNA-Seq. The Rana SLC26A5 cDNA was 2292 bp long, encoding a polypeptide of 763 amino acid residues, with 40% identity to mammals. This new coding gene could encode a functionally active protein conferring NLC to both frog HCs and the mammalian cell line. While comparing to its orthologs, the amphibian prestin has been evolutionarily changing its function and becomes more advanced than avian and teleost prestin.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Kolenda ◽  
Agnieszka Pietras-Lebioda ◽  
Sebastian Hofman ◽  
Maria Ogielska ◽  
Maciej Pabijan

Recent molecular studies have detected the occurrence of exotic water frog species (Pelophylaxsp.) in central and western European populations. Here, we report genetic evidence for the occurrence of the Balkan water frog,Pelophylax kurtmuelleri, in southwestern Poland. We found a high frequency of an allele of serum albumin intron-1 and a mitochondrial cytochromebhaplotype specific for this southern taxon in frogs from the Barycz river drainage system. We interpret this finding as evidence of admixture betweenP. kurtmuelleriand the localridibundus-esculentuswater frog population. The origin of the exoticP. kurtmuellerimitochondrial and nuclear alleles in southwestern Poland could be due to (i) hybridization after a human-mediated introduction ofP. kurtmuelleri, (ii) the persistence of ancestral polymorphism in central EuropeanP. ridibundus, or (iii) hybridization betweenP. kurtmuelleriandP. ridibundusin the Balkans followed by the northward expansion of admixedP. ridibundus. Identical mtDNA haplotypes found in southwestern Poland and localities on the borders between Greece, Albania and Macedonia suggest that this region harboured the source population ofP. kurtmuelleriat the studied site.


2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 417-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Boissinot ◽  
Pierre Grillet ◽  
Aurélien Besnard ◽  
Olivier Lourdais

Traditional farming landscape in western Europe is made of a complex mosaic of pastures, cultures, ponds and hedgerows connected with woods. Previous observations in the common frog species suggest that lowland populations are closely associated to wood cover and our aim was to test the validity of this assumption. We studied common frog occurrence and abundance in western central France (Deux-Sèvres department) close to the southern margin of lowland distribution. Our results pointed out that the proportion of woods surface around sampled areas (1 ha) was a critical determinant of common frog presence and abundance. Extensive farming, which maintains a mosaic of small woods, may provide a robust conservation tool for this species.


Copeia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Lannoo ◽  
Rochelle M. Stiles ◽  
Michael A. Sisson ◽  
Jonathan W. Swan ◽  
Vanessa C. K. Terrell ◽  
...  

2004 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 439-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme R. Gillespie ◽  
David Lockie ◽  
Michael P. Scroggie ◽  
Djoko T. Iskandar

The habitat associations of stream-breeding frogs were examined along a series of stream transects on Buton Island in south-east Sulawesi, Indonesia. Of the eight frog species located along streams, four were observed breeding in stream habitats. We examined spatial habitat partitioning among these species. Three of the four species were found to be associated with a non-random selection of the available perch sites. Strong partitioning between species in habitat associations was found; partitioning of the available habitat space was primarily associated with differences in proximity to stream features, and in the height of perch sites. General observations indicated that oviposition sites of most species were associated with the microhabitats in which the adult frogs were found. All four stream-breeding species appear to have synchronous breeding phenologies and the spatial relationships of these species within the habitat space appear to reflect partitioning of calling sites and oviposition sites. The stream-breeding frog community in this region of Sulawesi has much lower species richness and less specialized habitat use compared with other tropical stream-breeding frog communities in the region.


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