The structure and the histological expression of annual bone growth marks of Iberian water frogs (Rana perezi) from a warm temperate climate region (southwestern Spain) differ markedly from the pattern observed in colder climate populations. Forty-eight percent of winter growth marks appeared to be annuli; 52% are lines of arrested growth but 20% of these are weakly expressed. Annuli or lines of arrested growth were very diffuse or absent in 7% of the 103 individuals studied, suggesting that variations in climate have a stronger influence on growth-mark formation than was previously considered. Males and females are sexually mature in their second year, although some males mature at 1 year of age and some females at 3 years. The oldest males were 4 years old, 1 year younger than males from northern populations. The oldest female was 6 years old. The wide range of body sizes among the 1-year-old froglets can be explained by the extended period of metamorphosis, from July to November.

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Triturus marmoratus pygmaeus, a problematicsubspecies of the Marbled Newt from the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula, is redescribed using specimens collected in the “typical” area. Diagnostic external morphological features are provided to permit the accurate determination of the specimens belonging either to T. m. marmoratus or to T. m. pygmaeus. These diagnostic features were applied to individuals both from the field and from museum collections. The results indicate a larger distributional area for to T. m. pygmaeusto than was previously recognized. The distribution of to T. m. marmoratusto ranges over the northern half of the Iberian Peninsula and most of France; to T. m. pygmaeusto occupies the southwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula. The contact area between the two subspecies seemsto be located alongthe Central Range Mountains (Sistema Central) in Portugal and Spain. to T. m. marmoratusto extends southwards beyond this borderline in three areas: Serra da Estrela (Portugal), Sierra de Gata (Spain) and Sierra de Guadarrama (Spain). The only point at which to T. m. pygmaeusto reaches northwards beyond the Central System is near Puerto de Malagón (Madrid Province, Spain). No cases of strict sympatry, nor individuals with intermediate morphologicalfeatures have been observed. The results of an extensive cytogenetical analysis do not show any differences between to T. m. pygmaeusto and to T. m. marmoratusto . Interestingly, however, the to T. m. pygmaeusto populations from Doñana (Huelva Province, Spain) showed an exclusive, though little differentiated, C-banding pattern.

We studied the age structure and the growth of a breeding population of parsley frogs, Pelodytes punctatus, from a pond system in northern Spain using skeletochronological methods. This population lives in an upland area with marked seasonal differences characterized by long, cold winters and dry summers. We assessed, using the mark-recapture method, the annual periodicity of bone growth marks. Only one line of arrested growth is laid down per winter, showing, in general, a well-defined histological structure. Females are larger than males with 43.31 and 36.32 mm average body length, respectively. This sexual dimorphism in body length increases with age. Males and females reach sexual maturity when they are 1 year old. The oldest males were 8 years old while the females were 2 years older. Growth curves for both sexes were constructed based on body size and the number of lines of arrested growth found in bone sections. The growth rate of males declined abruptly after the first year. Females delayed reproduction and continued to grow at a high rate for 2 years longer than males, thus reaching a higher asymptotic size.