Differential Predation on Experimental Populations of Parental and Hybrid Leopard Frog (Rana blairi and Rana sphenocephala) Larvae

2001 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Parris ◽  
Campbell W. Laird ◽  
Raymond D. Semlitsch
Keyword(s):  
Leopard Frog ◽  
Rana Sphenocephala ◽  
Differential Predation ◽  
Experimental Populations ◽  
Rana Blairi

Helminths of the Plains Leopard Frog, Rana blairi (Ranidae)

2000 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen R. Goldberg ◽  
Charles R. Bursey ◽  
James E. Platz
Keyword(s):  
Leopard Frog ◽  
Rana Blairi

Development and characterization of 18 microsatellite loci for the Southern Leopard Frog, Rana sphenocephala

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna M. McKee ◽  
Stacey L. Lance ◽  
Kenneth L. Jones ◽  
Cris Hagen ◽  
Travis C. Glenn
Keyword(s):  
Microsatellite Loci ◽  
Leopard Frog ◽  
Rana Sphenocephala

Behaviour and growth of southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala) tadpoles: effects of food and predation risk

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 809-814 ◽  
Author(s):  
K J Babbitt
Keyword(s):  
Food Resource ◽  
Leopard Frog ◽  
Rana Sphenocephala ◽  
Food Treatment ◽  
Leopard Frogs ◽  
Resource Level ◽  
Size At Metamorphosis ◽  
Interesting Possibility ◽  
Limited Food ◽  
Level I

I examined the effects of a nonlethal predator, larvae of the odonate Anax junius, and food-resource level on behaviour and growth of larval southern leopard frogs (Rana sphenocephala) to test whether the strength of effects of a nonlethal predator was influenced by background resource level. I crossed two levels of food resources, growth-limiting and non-growth-limiting, with the presence or absence of A. junius. Tadpoles responded to predators by altering spatial distribution and activity. When predators were present, tadpoles on both food treatments had similar low levels of activity, but tadpoles on the nonlimiting food treatment showed a much larger reduction in activity than tadpoles on the growth-limiting treatment. Tadpoles on both food treatments delayed metamorphosis when exposed to predators. Growth and size at metamorphosis were affected significantly by food treatment but not by predator treatment. However, the direction of response to predators differed. Tadpoles on the growth-limiting treatment were larger at metamorphosis and grew faster when exposed to predators; the opposite was true for tadpoles on the non-growth-limited food treatment. This raises the interesting possibility that for some species experiencing low resource availability, predators may induce a behaviourally mediated positive effect on growth.

Jumping performance and short-term repeatability of newly metamorphosed hybrid and parental leopard frogs ( Rana sphenocephala and Rana blairi )

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (5) ◽  
pp. 748-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond D Semlitsch ◽  
Joyce Pickle ◽  
Matthew J Parris ◽  
Richard D Sage
Keyword(s):  
Parental Species ◽  
High Density ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Rana Sphenocephala ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Jumping Performance ◽  
Leopard Frogs ◽  
Backcross Hybrid ◽  
Rana Blairi

Differential fitness between hybrid and parental genotypes plays a critical role in explaining the maintenance of natural hybrid zones as well as the production of novel genetic variation that may lead to diversification. Because locomotor performance is a reliable and practical measure of potential fitness related to morphological variation, we tested for differences in jumping performance among parental and hybrid genotypes of newly metamorphosed leopard frogs (Rana sphenocephala and Rana blairi). Tadpoles of the parental species and primary and backcross hybrid tadpoles, generated from artificial crosses (a total of five genotypes), were reared at two initial larval densities. Locomotor performance of newly metamorphosed frogs, as measured by jumping ability, was tested three times over 6 days in the laboratory at 24-25°C. Maximum and average jump lengths were greater for metamorphs reared at low larval density than for those reared at high density. Regression analyses indicated that 70-79% of the variation in jump length was due to body mass. When reared at low density, metamorphs of two F1 backcross genotypes (HB and HS) and one primary hybrid genotype (SB) jumped shorter distances than either parental species. When reared at high density, hybrid performance was indistinguishable from that of the parentals, except for one backcross hybrid (HB). Moderately high short-term repeatabilities (0.47-0.66) of metamorphs reared at the high density indicate that measures of performance in newly metamorphosed frogs can be predictive. We suggest that, owing to poor jumping performance, some hybrid frogs would be at a selective disadvantage relative to their parental species in the terrestrial environment and thus would partially reinforce mechanisms of reproductive isolation in this leopard frog system. Yet equivalent performance of some hybrids relative to the parentals, at least when reared at low density, suggests that hybrid lineages also have the potential to evolve independently in some environments.

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