Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Australian Journal of Zoology Australian Journal of Zoology Society
Evolutionary, molecular and comparative zoology
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > ZO > ZO06017 > Fulltext
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 55(2)

The relationship between environmental conditions and activity of the giant barred frog (Mixophyes iteratus) on the Coomera River, south-east Queensland

Amelia J. Koch A C and Jean-Marc Hero B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 78, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.

B Centre for Innovative Conservation Strategies, School of Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast campus, PMB 50 GCMC, Bundall, Qld 9726, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: ajkoch@utas.edu.au

Australian Journal of Zoology 55(2) 89-95 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO06017
Submitted: 15 February 2006  Accepted: 23 April 2007   Published: 28 May 2007

Abstract

Determining the population density of ectotherms is often confounded by individual activity levels, which are highly dependent on ambient climatic conditions. In this study we used radio-telemetry and streamside surveys to examine the influence of local climatic conditions on individual activity levels (detectability) and streamside density of a population of endangered giant barred frog (Mixophyes iteratus) along the Coomera river in south-east Queensland. Temperature was the most important climatic variable influencing the behaviour and hence detectability of M. iteratus. The results indicated that males bury under the leaf litter during cold conditions (<18°C) so fewer were detected during surveys. Although females were also found to bury under the leaf litter in cold weather, no significant relationship between exposure and streamside density was detected. This is likely to be due to the lower number of females detected during surveys. The streamside density of juveniles was significantly related to temperature and rainfall, but little of the variance in the data was explained by climatic conditions, despite greater numbers of juveniles being found than adults. These results indicate that, for increased efficiency, surveys of Mixophyes iteratus should be undertaken when temperatures exceed 18°C.

Additional keywords: amphibian, climate, detectability, environmental variables, frogs, radio-tracking, surveys.


Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the volunteers who assisted in the field work for this project. In particular, Matt Fossey, Simon Hodgkison, Luke Shoo and Andrew Melville. Thanks also to Clare Morrison, Luke Shoo and Andrew Melville for advice throughout the study.


References

Barker J., Grigg G. C., and Tyler M. J. (1995). ‘A Field Guide to Australian Frogs.’ (Surrey Beatty and Sons: Chipping Norton, UK.)

Berven, K. A. (1990). Factors affecting population fluctuations in larval and adult stages of the wood frog (Rana sylvatica). Ecology 71, 1599–1608.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Burnham K. P., and Anderson D. R. (2002). ‘Model Selection and Multimodel Inference: A Practical Information-theoretic Approach.’ (Springer-Verlag: New York.)

Commonwealth Government (1999). Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Available at http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=fauna [Verified 1 May 2007]

Crump, M. L. , and Pounds, J. A. (1989). Temporal variation in the dispersion of a tropical anuran. Copeia 1989, 209–211.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Duellman W. E., and Trueb L. (1986). ‘Biology of Amphibians.’ (McGraw-Hill: New York.)

Fukuyama, K. , and Kusano, T. (1992). Factors affecting breeding activity in a stream-breeding frog, Buergeria buergeri. Journal of Herpetology 26, 88–91.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Gedzelman S. D. (1980). ‘The Science and Wonders of the Atmosphere.’ (John Wiley and Sons: New York.)

Hines H., Mahony M., and McDonald K. (1999). An assessment of frog declines in wet subtropical Australia. In ‘Declines and Disappearances of Australian Frogs’. (Ed. A. Campbell.) pp. 44–63. (Environment Australia: Canberra.)

Hodgkison, S. , and Hero, J. M. (2001). Daily behaviour and microhabitat use of the waterfall frog, Litoria nannotis in Tully gorge, eastern Australia. Journal of Herpetology 35, 116–120.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Hodgkison S. C. (1998). Behavioural and feeding ecology of the declining amphibians: Litoria nannotis, Litoria rheocola and Nyctimystes dayi. B.Sc. (Grad. Dip.) Thesis, James Cook University, Townsville.

Holenweg, A. K. , and Reyer, H. U. (2000). Hibernation behaviour of Rana lessonae and R. esculenta in their natural habitat. Oecologia 123, 41–47.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | O’Reilly W. (1999). Factors influencing the calling and breeding behaviour of Fleay’s barred frog Mixophyes fleayi. B.Sc. (3rd year project), University of Queensland, Brisbane.

Magnusson, W. E. , Lima, A. P. , Hero, J. M. , and Araujo, M. C. (1999). The rise and fall of a population of Hyla boans: Reproduction in a neotropical gladiator frog. Journal of Herpetology 33, 647–656.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Queensland Government (2006). Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 2006. Available at http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/N/NatureConWiR06.pdf. [Verified 1 May 2007]

Ovaska, K. (1991). Reproductive phenology, population structure and habitat use of the frog Eleutherodactylus johnstonei in Barbados, West Indies. Journal of Herpetology 25, 424–430.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | R Core Development Team (2004). ‘R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing.’ (R Foundation for Statistical Computing: Vienna.)

Richards S. J., Sinsch U., and Alford R. A. (1994). Radio-tracking. In ‘Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity. Standard Methods for Amphibians’. (Eds W. R. Heyer, M. A. Donnelly, R. W. McDiarmid, L. A. C. Hayek and M. S. Foster.) pp. 155–158. (Smithsonian Institution: Washington, DC.)

Salvador, A. , and Carrascal, L. M. (1990). Reproductive phenology and temporal patterns of mate access in Mediterranean anurans. Journal of Herpetology 24, 438–445.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | SPSS (2004). ‘SPSS for Windows Rel. 12.0.1.’ (SPSS Inc.: Chicago.)

Streatfeild C. (1999). Spatial movements of Mixophyes iteratus and Mixophyes fasciolatus in southeast Queensland. B.Sc.(Hons.) Thesis, Griffith University, Bundall, Qld.

Stewart, M. M. (1995). Climate driven population fluctuations in rain forest frogs. Journal of Herpetology 29, 437–446.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | White A. (2000). ‘The Status of the Barred River Frogs Mixophyes balbus and Mixophyes iteratus in the Sydney Basin Region of New South Wales.’ (Biosphere Environmental Consultants P.L.: Sydney.)

Woolbright, L. L. (1985). Patterns of nocturnal movement and calling by the tropical frog Eleutherodactylus coqui. Herpetologica 41, 1–9.