Author Institution: Department of Biology, Xavier Universit

Hedeen, Stanley E.

The Ohio Journal of Science

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182 STANLEY E. HEDEEN Vol. 75PREMETAMORPHIC GROWTH OFRAN A CATESBEIANA IN SOUTH-WESTERN OHIO.1 Rana catesbeianatadpoles used in this study were takenfrom a lake at the Cincinnati NatureCenter in unplatted Clermont County,and from an unnamed lake in T2N, R1E,Sec. 7, SW, NW in Hamilton County.An east-west distance of 52 km separatesthe two lakes. Tadpoles were collectedalong the lakeshores with long-handleddip nets, killed immediately in 10%formalin, and later measured, weighedand staged. Total length was measuredto 0.1 mm with steel calipers from thetip of the snout to the tip of the tail.Each animal was blotted dry on papertowels and weighed to 0.001 g. The 304tadpoles studied were staged accordingto Gosner (1960).The growth pattern of R. catesbeianatadpoles from July to November wasderived from samples of animals hatchedreceived 2/5/75; revised 5/28/75(#75-9).8rin the Clermont County lake in 1970.Egg masses were noted at the edge of thelake from 10 June through 15 July. Bi-weekly samples of 20 tadpoles each weretaken from 15 July through 8 November.No tadpoles from the 1970 breeding sea-son were found after November, althoughdiligent searches were carried out throughApril 1971. The tadpoles may havebeen exterminated during the 1970-1971winter by anaerobic conditions under theice, food shortages, or diseases.Lengths, weights, and stages of the col-lected tadpoles are given in table 1, andthe mean lengths and weights are plottedin figure 1. The mean weights of thebullfrog tadpoles from southwestern Ohiowere consistently lighter than the meanweights of similar-age tadpoles taken byseine in central Kentucky by Viparinaand Just (1975). This discrepancy maybe due in part to the author's use of ashallow water dip net rather than a deeperwater seine for collecting specimens.Ryan (1953) noted that postmeta-4209030S 0 N N D J F M A M J1970 1968 1969FIGURE 1. Growth patterns derived from 304 Rana catesbeiana tadpoles collected from two lakesin southwestern Ohio. Data points for 15 July to 8 Nov 1970 represent mean of 20tadpoles from Clermont County lake. Data points for 22 Nov 1968 to 21 June 1969represent mean of 24 tadpoles from a Hamilton County lake.Mean length - mm Mean weight - gXo. 4 PREMETAMORPHIC GROWTH OF FROGS 183TABLE 1Growth patterns of Rana catesbeiana tadpoles collected in SW Ohio.CollectionDate19707/158/ 48/108/319/1510/ 410/1811/ 8196811/2219G92/72/284/275/236/21LengthMean6.115.419.620.930.035.142.053.558.760.763.571.076.587.8(mm)RangeWeight (g)MeanClermont County lake59141319233130.4- 11.7.0- 30.3. 1 - 31.0.2- 28.2.8- 43.8.6- 74.2.5- 66.8.9- 92.10.0030.0740.1170.1390.4220.8051.1532.337Hamilton County lake385752590376.0- 74.4.5- 75.2.2- 88.1.3- 80.3.6-92.1.5-100.72.0573.3003.5864.4774.9917.684Range(N = 20 in each0.002- 0.0240.011- 0.4030.039- 0.4540.037- 0.3190.100- 0.9870.155- 5.1100.353- 4.1890.391- 8.658(N = 24 in each0.543- 5.2611.774- 4.3701.368- 8.7382.473- 8.1223.113-11.2133.712-12.872Stage*Meancollection)20.625.025.225.828.229.330.531.9collection)28.730.129.330.531.440.3Range20-2525-2525-2725-2725-3327-3927-3826-4026-3328-3927-3528-3928-4037-43*Stages based on tables of Gosner (1960). Tadpoles hatch at stage 20,begin hindlimb development at stage 26, show forelimbs at stage 42, and completemetamorphosis at stage 46.morphic R. catesbeiana in New York showlittle growth in length during the winterperiod. Viparina and Just (1975) re-ported a decreased winter growth inweight by premetamorphic R. catesbeianain Kentucky. In the present study, pre-metamorphic growth in length and weightduring a 156-day winter period (22 No-vember 1968 to 27 April 1969) was lessthan during a 54-day autumn period (15September to 8 November 1970), or a55-day spring period (27 April to 21June 1969).Temperature is probably responsiblefor seasonal changes in growth, and fordifferences in the number of seasons R.catesbeiana tadpoles need to metamor-phose (Brattstrom, 1962). The numberof winters a bullfrog remains a tadpolevaries from none in southern UnitedStates, to one or more in northern UnitedStates (Willis et al., 1956). In Ken-tucky, the majority of bullfrogs spendat least one winter as larvae (Viparinaand Just, 1975). In Ohio, R. catesbeianamay spend two winters in the larvalstage (Walker, 1946), although the dataof Bruggers and Jackson (1974) andWalker (1946) suggested that some bull-frogs spend only one winter as tadpolesin northwestern and southeastern Ohio.The present study indicated that mostR. catesbeiana transform after a singlewinter of larval life in southwesternOhio. Newly metamorphosed animalsin stage 46 appeared on shore in Juneand July, about one year from their dateof hatching at stage 20.—STANLEY E.HEDEEN. Department of Biology, Xa-vier University, Cincinnati, Ohio 45207.LITERATURE CITEDBrattstrom, B. H. 1962. Thermal control ofaggregation behavior in tadpoles. Herpe-tologica 18: 38-46.Bruggers, R. L., and W. B. Jackson. 1974.Eye-lens weight of the bullfrog (Rana cate-sbeiana) related to larval development,transformation, and age of adults. Ohio J.Sci. 74: 282-280.Gosner, K. L. 1900. A simplified table forstaging anuran embryos and larvae withnotes on identification. Herpetologica 10:183-190.Ryan, R. A. 1953. Growth rates of someranids under natural conditions. Copeia1953: 73-80.Viparina, S., and J. J. Just. 1975. The lifeperiod, growth and differentiation of Ranacatesbeiana larvae occurring in nature. Copeia1975: 103-109.Walker, C. F. 1940. The amphibians of Ohio.Ohio State Mus. Sci. Bull. 1(3): 1-109.Willis, Y. L., D. L. Moyle, and T. S. Baskett.1956. Emergence, breeding, hibernation,movements and transformation of the bull-frog, Rana catesbeiana, in Missouri. Copeia1950:30-41.

Premetamorphic Growth of Rana Catesbeiana in Southwestern Ohio

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Premetamorphic Growth of Rana Catesbeiana in Southwestern Ohio

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