Kutenkov A., Mamontova E., Sedova N. Digital method for the frogs fertility assessment in the common frog (Rana temporaria) // Principy èkologii. 2019. № 1. P. 89‒99. DOI: 10.15393/j1.art.2019.8242


Issue № 1

Methods of ecological investigations

pdf-version

Digital method for the frogs fertility assessment in the common frog (Rana temporaria)

Kutenkov
   Anatoly
PhD, State Nature Reserve «Kivach», 186220, Kondopoga reg., v. Waterfall Kivatch, stapesy@mail.ru
Mamontova
   Elisaveta
«Krestovsky ostrov», Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution «Saint Petersburg City Palace of Youth Creativity, будет уточнен, lizard_sun@mail.ru
Sedova
   Natalia
PhD, «Krestovsky ostrov», Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution «Saint Petersburg City Palace of Youth Creativity, 197343 Saint Petersburg, Zemledelcheskaya st., b. 5–2, f. 543, natkas12@yandex.ru
Keywords:
Rana temporaria
device for frogs’ spawn clump photography
digital image analysis
fertility assessment
Summary: The convenient modern way of frog fertility assessment is offered. A spawn clutch taken from a breeding pond was placed into the device of the original design made of glass. After photography and the conversion of an image into black-and-white, the file with the image of the spawn clutch was imported into the vector graphic editor CorelDRAW X6. After such procedures as i) increasing the brightness and visibility, ii) tracing by a contour, and iii) flattening the rate of itemization, the number of ova was received as a number of limited vector objects in the "Curves" division. The number of ova in 49 spawn clutches of Rana temporaria was counted in three different ways. These were direct counting, the offered assessment method by the vector graphic editor, and bulk sampling method. Statistical analysis of the results of the three quantitative methods is given. The proposed method allows determining the fertility of tailless amphibians on a large number of spawn clutches with minimal time and sufficient accuracy. At that the integrity of clutches is not broken and mucous membranes are not damaged.

© Petrozavodsk State University

Reviewer: V. Ishchenko
Reviewer: S. M. Lyapkov
Received on: 30 August 2018
Published on: 25 March 2019

References

Bohenek J. R., Resetarits W. J. An optimized method to quantify large numbers of amphibian eggs, Herpetology notes. 2017. Vol. 10. P. 573–578.

Cooke A. S. Spawn clumps of the common frog Rana temporaria: number of ova and hatchability, Brit. j. of herpetology. 1975. Vol. 5. No. 5. P. 505–509.

Haapanen A. Breeding of the common frog (Rana temporaria L.), Ann. zool. fennici. 1982. Vol. 19. No. 2. P. 75–79.

Ischenko V. G. Long-term investigations of demography in amphibians' populations: modern problems and methods, Voprosy gerpetologii: Materialy III s'ezda Gerpetol. ob-va im. A. M. Nikol'skogo. Puschino; M., 2008. P. 151–169.

Ivanter E. V. Korosov A. V. Introduction into quantitative biology. Petrozavodsk, 2011. 302 p.

Karraker N. E. A new method for estimating clutch sizes of ambystomatid salamanders and ranid frogs: introducing the ovagram, Herpetological revive. 2007. Vol. 38. No. 1. P. 46–48.

Kutenkov A. P. Comparison of two method of fertility assessment of the grass frog (Rana temporaria L.), Trudy Gosudarstvennogo prirodnogo zapovednika «Kivach». Vyp. 6. Petrozavodsk, 2013. P. 164–166.

Loman J. Local variation in Rana temporaria egg and clutch size: adaptation to pond drying?, Alytes. 2001. Vol. 19. No. 1. P. 45–52.

Lyapkov S. M. Preservation and restoration of amphibians of European Russia: development of general principles and effective practical measures. M.: KMK, 2003. 116 p.

Moraga A. D., Pervin E. Efficient estimation of amphibian clutch size using image analysis of compressed globular egg masses, Herpetological conservation and biology. 2018. Vol. 13. No. 2. P. 341–346.

Räsänen K., Söderman F., Laurila A., Merilä J. Geographic variation in maternal investment: acidity affects egg size and fecundity in Rana arvalis, Ecology. 2008. Vol. 89. No. 9. P. 2553–2562.

Schupak E. L. Dynamics of biological productivity of moor frog's populations, Ekologiya. 1970. No. 1. P. 83–86.

Terent'ev P. V. Frog. M.: Sov. nauka, 1950. 346 p.

Displays: 3480; Downloads: 806;