Effects of fine-scale habitat quality on activity, dormancy, habitat use, and survival after reproduction in Rana dybowskii (Chordata, Amphibia)

Abstract

Amphibians are facing population declines and extinctions, and protecting and supplementing refuges can help species survive. However, the microhabitat requirements of most species are unknown, and artificial shelters or burrows have not been well tested for amphibians. Some amphibians exhibit complex behaviour during the transition from post-reproductive dormancy to activity. However, little is known about the ecology, post-reproductive dormancy, and terrestrial activity of amphibians. Here, habitat site selection in experimental enclosures and the effects of shelters (stones, soil) and shade (with and without shade netting) on the activity, exposed body percentage, burrow depth, body-soil contact percentage, and survival of Rana dybowskii were investigated during post-reproductive dormancy and post-dormant activity. The results showed that R. dybowskii live individually under leaves, soil, stones or tree roots. Furthermore, although the dormant sites of frogs are significantly different, the distribution of male and female frogs in these sites is similar. Shading and shelter significantly affected the exposed body percentage, burrow depth and body-soil contact percentage of frogs compared with soil. In the stone group, soil and stone form the frog's refuge/burrow, whereas in the soil group, the refuge/burrow is composed entirely of soil. Even though the soil group has a deeper burrow and a larger area of soil contact with the body, it still has a higher exposure rate than the stone group. Frog activity frequency was affected by shelter and shade; the interaction of shelter and time and the interaction of shading and time were significant. The soil group had a higher activity frequency than the stone group, and the no-shade group had a higher activity frequency than the shade group. Shelter and shading differences do not significantly affect frog survival; however, the death rate during post-reproductive dormancy is lower than that during the active period.

Characteristics and a comparison of the gut microbiota in two frog species at the beginning and end of hibernation

“…The two frog species leave the wintering pool in April until September’s end, when they return to the wintering pool ( Tong et al, 2023 ). In summer, R. amurensis inhabits grassland within about a few dozen meters of overwintering ponds.…”

“…However, these two Rana species are related in terms of their trophic locations, and their primary food source is insects ( Xu et al, 2010 ). In autumn, R. dybowskii moved from the terrestrial to the aquatic environment, and R. amurensis lives near ponds where the host is in a different environmental flora and the host may select for the bacteria required in the environment ( Tong et al, 2023 ). Both R. amurensis and R. dybowskii move to wintering ponds as soon as the temperature decreases with the arrival of autumn to begin a six-month period of hibernation ( Tong et al, 2019 ).…”

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Cross-Tissue Metabolic Pathway Changes in Female Rana dybowskii during Emergence from Hibernation

“…Maintaining a suitable hibernation temperature helps keep the organism healthy [10]. The rapid rise in temperature in early spring causes physiological, biochemical, and hormonal changes in hibernating R. dybowskii, emergence from hibernation, and the start of chasing and mating behaviors [11]. However, the ecological effects of early emerging may also cause nutritional mismatches [12].…”