The Herpetological Journal

pp.9-12

Authors: Xin Lu

Abstract: Body reserves of temperate anurans go through an annual cycle in response to highly seasonal environments. Here l describe how changes in relative mass of storage organs of Rana chensinensis occurring in northern China contributed to this cycle. Body reserves of both sexes dropped to their lowest levels after hibernation, and experienced a resting period of five months, then the reserves started increasing and attained peaks shortly before hibernating. During hibernation, the frogs' ovaries kept growing and liver and fat bodies declined accordingly. Based on comparable data in other studies, two distinct models of ovarian development in temperate anurans, hibernation-growth and non-hibernation-growth, are suggested. I also show a decreased relative ovarian mass with increased climate harshness.

Keywords: body reserves, ecological energetics, environmental physiology, Ranidae