舟山群岛变态后牛蛙的食性研究

牛蛙(Ranacatesbeiana)是极其危险的外来入侵种,对当地生物类群的捕食是其主要的危害机制,但目前有关其食性的研究均只局限于一个研究地点。为了全面评估牛蛙对当地生物类群的捕食影响,2005年6月30日至8月11日期间,作者采用洗胃法对舟山群岛8个岛屿(岱山、六横、秀山、佛渡、桃花、虾峙、册子和普陀山)变态后牛蛙的食性进行了研究。共采集到变态后的牛蛙391只,包括牛蛙成体113只和亚成体278只。食性分析结果表明:(1)按食物体积计算,成年牛蛙以十足目、鞘翅目、蜻蜓目、中腹足目、蛙形目和鲤形目为主要食物,亚成体牛蛙以十足目、鞘翅目、鲤形目、蜻蜓目、直翅目、膜翅目、鳞翅目幼虫、中腹足目和蛙形目为主要食物;成体和亚成体牛蛙胃中食物的平均大小均随其体长增加而增大;(2)不同岛屿上的牛蛙在主要食物类型构成上存在差异。这表明牛蛙在不同地方对不同生物类群造成的捕食危害是不一样的,充分反映了其生态危害的广泛性。     

克氏原螯虾在舟山群岛永久性静水水体中的分布及其影响因素

为了解克氏原螯虾在永久性静水水体(水库和池塘)中的分布及其影响因素和它对两栖动物多样性的影响,于2008年5—8月,利用样线法与目视遇测法以及网捕法,对舟山群岛中的8个岛屿(岱山、六横、秀山、佛渡、桃花、虾峙、册子和普陀山)上的86个水库和池塘中的克氏原螯虾分布和影响其分布的因素进行了调查,调查的因素包括外来种牛蛙(Rana catesbeiana)、水体的面积、最大水深、水体周边植被的覆盖率、鱼的出现率、人口足迹以及当地蛙的密度和物种多样性。结果表明:1)83.7%的研究水体(72/86)有克氏原螯虾的分布,克氏原螯虾和牛蛙共同分布的水体占53.5%;2)克氏原螯虾的密度在各个岛屿上的分布是不均匀的;3)基于信息标准(AICc)的最小满足模型(Minimum Adequate Model)显示,克氏原螯虾的分布与水体的最大水深和牛蛙的密度呈正相关,而与其他因素没有关系。克氏原螯虾的入侵对舟山群岛永久性静水水体蛙类物种多样性的直接影响可能不大,但由于克氏原螯虾是牛蛙的重要食物,它的分布可能潜在地助长外来种牛蛙的密度。     

仙姑弹琴蛙蝌蚪对陌生捕食者克氏原螯虾的反捕反应

以峨眉山的仙姑弹琴蛙 (Ranadaunchina)蝌蚪作为猎物 ,该地区潜在的入侵物种克氏原螯虾 (Procambarusclarkii)为捕食者 ,于冬季设计实验观察仙姑弹琴蛙蝌蚪对陌生入侵捕食者的反捕行为反应。实验按照 3× 3× 2因子设计 ,即 :捕食者状况 3个水平 (食植物的克氏原螯虾、食蝌蚪的克氏原螯虾和无捕食者 ) ,蝌蚪年龄组 3个水平(31- 35期的 2 .5龄蝌蚪、2 6 - 30期的 1.5龄蝌蚪和 2 5期的 0 .5龄蝌蚪 ) ,以及蝌蚪短期经验 2个水平 (有经验和无经验 )。实验发现 :有短期被捕食经验的蝌蚪的活动时间极显著低于无被捕食经验的蝌蚪 ,而静止时间以及隐蔽所利用时间却极显著地高于无经验的蝌蚪 ;短期经验和捕食者状况的交互效应对蝌蚪的活动时间有显著影响 ;而蝌蚪年龄、捕食者状况及其交互效应对蝌蚪的行为反应没有显著影响。这表明 ,有短期被捕食经历的仙姑弹琴蛙蝌蚪并未通过个体学习建立起对陌生捕食者克氏原螯虾的识别能力 ,而是表现出无针对性的活动性受抑、隐蔽时间增加的行为反应。如果自然条件下的仙姑弹琴蛙蝌蚪也有类似反应 ,在克氏原螯虾入侵初期 ,仙姑弹琴蛙蝌蚪则可能会由于无法识别新的捕食者而表现出过度的反捕行为反应 ,承受更大的亚致死作用 ,而对种群生存造成不利影响     

Rana johnsi的生物学初探

从保护生物学角度对广西大瑶山Rana johnsi Smith,1921的的栖息地和繁殖地生境、 繁殖生物学及蝌蚪的特点等进行了初步探讨。该蛙在大瑶山主要分布在海拔800m左右的一个狭窄区域,10月至次年1月下山繁殖,有效性比为5：1。蝌蚪唇齿式为Ⅰ：5—5／1—1：Ⅳ和Ⅰ：4—4／1—1：Ⅳ,越冬后在5～6月完成变态。由于人为和自然因素的影响,该蛙种群受到严重威胁,应加强保护管理和宣传教育。     

桂林地区克氏原螯虾对泽蛙蝌蚪的捕食

克氏原螯虾（Procambarus clarkii）已入侵我国江苏、湖北、江西、安徽等多个省（市）。为研究克氏原螯虾对其生境中主要两栖动物泽蛙（Rana limnocharis）的影响,我们于2006年5-6月对广西桂林地区自然生境中克氏原螯虾和泽蛙蝌蚪的数量和密度进行了调查,7月在室内进行了克氏原螯虾对泽蛙蝌蚪和饰纹姬蛙（Microhyla ornata）蝌蚪的捕食实验。野外调查结果表明克氏原螯虾的密度与泽蛙蝌蚪的密度呈显著负相关。室内实验结果表明克氏原螯虾对泽蛙蝌蚪的捕食强度与克氏原螯虾体长呈显著正相关,且对泽蛙蝌蚪的捕食强度高于饰纹姬蛙蝌蚪。表明克氏原螯虾对两栖类幼体有比较严重的危害,应加强监测,采取相应措施预防和控制其危害。     

警惕北美牛蛙入侵海南的风险

牛蛙(Lithobates catesbeianus)的入侵已成为本地两栖动物种群下降的主要因素之一,该物种在中国广泛分布,但在海南尚无分布记录.2011年2～4月,在海南省万泉河沙洲岛附近3个点捕捉到8只成体,其中1只个体已有卵.捕捉点的土壤基质为沙质或泥质,距水边距离0.5～1.5 m,整体坡度为6°～ 25°,植被盖度75％ ～ 90％,生境附近本地两栖动物种类较为丰富.调查结果显示,市场上有牛蛙销售,销量约120只/d;琼海市有饲养牛蛙的记录,且存在粗放式(放养于田间)养殖情况,不排除养殖逃逸的可能;捕捉点附近有佛教组织定期放生,也存在个人放生行为.综合以上结果,万泉河发现牛蛙可能是养殖逃逸或放生所致,是否形成可繁殖的种群尚需进一步调查和研究.     

海南红树林的海陆蛙分布与种群密度调查

为掌握海南红树林中海陆蛙(Fejervarya cancrivora)分布和种群数量状况,于2008年4～8月选择12个红树林进行了海陆蛙分布状况调查,同时采用样带法对4个调查地点的海陆蛙生境和种群密度进行了调查.结果表明,海陆蛙只分布于海南东寨港红树林国家级自然保护区、文昌清澜港红树林省级自然保护区、儋州新英港红树林...     

同一生境牛蛙与昭觉林蛙蝌蚪的食性比较

对采自昆明东北郊同一水塘的牛蛙和昭觉林蛙蝌蚪进行食性分析。结果表明 ,牛蛙蝌蚪Ⅰ、Ⅱ期的食物种类分别为 8大类 5 1种和 37种 ,而昭觉林蛙蝌蚪Ⅱ期的食物种类有 6大类 30种 ;两者的食物组成均以硅藻门、绿藻门、蓝藻门为主 ,但昭觉林蛙蝌蚪Ⅱ期与牛蛙蝌蚪Ⅰ期的摄食种类差异极显著 ,与牛蛙Ⅱ期的不显著。昭觉林蛙蝌蚪Ⅱ期与牛蛙蝌蚪Ⅰ、Ⅱ期的食物生态位重叠度分别为 0 6 95 2和 0 6 887,单位体重摄食的生物量分别是后两者的 10 96倍和 15 4 8倍 ,但百分率相似性指数并不高 (分别为 5 4 95 %和 5 8 11% )。与等重量牛蛙蝌蚪相比 ,昭觉林蛙蝌蚪食物量较大 ,即昭觉林蛙蝌蚪为生存所需要的生物量远高于牛蛙蝌蚪。本文结果及野外观察表明 ,昭觉林蛙与牛蛙蝌蚪存在较激烈的食物竞争 ,且前者处于不利地位。     

杀虫剂敌敌畏和除草剂丁草胺对饰纹姬蛙蝌蚪的急性毒性实验

采用静态换水法研究了杀虫剂敌敌畏、除草剂丁草胺对饰纹姬蛙(Microhyla ornata)蝌蚪的急性毒性影响。结果表明,杀虫剂敌敌畏对饰纹姬蛙蝌蚪的24-h、48-h的半致死浓度(LC50)分别为3．91μl／l和1．97μ/l;除草剂丁草胺对饰纹姬蛙蝌蚪的24-h LC50和48-h LC50分别为3．37μl／1和1．88μl／1,饰纹姬蛙蝌蚪对丁草胺的敏感性稍大于敌敌畏。     

外来捕食者克氏原螯虾对黑斑侧褶蛙不同发育阶段幼体表型与运动能力的影响

外来物种入侵是造成本土无尾两栖类种群下降和灭绝的最严重威胁之一。在中国南部丽水地区,克氏原螯虾(Procambarus clarkiion)是一种捕食本土无尾类蝌蚪的入侵物种。在实验室条件下,通过对黑斑侧褶蛙(Pelophylax nigromaculatus)受精卵和蝌蚪先后进行克氏原螯虾捕食风险的不同处理,检测孵出蝌蚪的形态特征、中期蝌蚪的形态特征、游泳表现及活动水平、变态时间与大小以及幼蛙跳跃表现,评估克氏原螯虾的捕食风险对黑斑侧褶蛙不同生长阶段幼体生长发育、运动能力及行为的综合影响。单因素方差分析表明,捕食者长期存在条件下黑斑侧褶蛙孵出蝌蚪的体长、尾长和尾肌宽均显著短于无捕食者的空白对照组和捕食者仅存在2 d的实验组,后两者处理下的蝌蚪体长差异显著,但尾长和尾肌宽差异不显著。长期捕食者存在条件下黑斑侧褶蛙蝌蚪的游泳总路程和平均游速均显著小于无捕食者和捕食者存在2 d的实验组,而蝌蚪体长、尾长、尾鳍高和尾肌高的组间差异均不显著。有捕食者存在下黑斑侧褶幼蛙的体长和体重均显著大于无捕食者和捕食者存在2 d的实验组的情况,而变态时间和幼蛙跳跃距离组间差异不显著。两因素方差分析表明,测试时间、捕食者设置和两因素的相互作用均显著影响蝌蚪的活动频次。不同实验时间,长期捕食者存在实验组蝌蚪活动频次均小于无捕食者和捕食者存在2 d的实验组。无捕食者实验组蝌蚪的活动频次前期高于捕食者存在2 d的实验组,后期低于捕食者存在2 d的实验组。线性回归分析结果显示,捕食者存在2 d实验组蝌蚪相对活动频次与检测时间相关不显著,长期捕食者存在实验组相对蝌蚪活动频次与检测时间呈显著的正相关。本研究表明了黑斑侧褶蛙蝌蚪能够感知来自入侵捕食者克氏原螯虾的捕食风险,诱导产生较小的孵出个体、蝌蚪较低的活动水平,但这种不足可通过后期补偿生长,不影响进入陆地生境的变态个体的表型与运动能力。     

First Evidence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</Emphasis> in China: Discovery of Chytridiomycosis in Introduced American Bullfrogs and Native Amphibians in the Yunnan Province,China

Although the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), the etiological agent of amphibian chytridiomycosis, has been implicated in mass mortality and population declines on several continents around the world, there have been no reports on the presence of Bd infections in amphibians in China. We employed quantitative PCR and histological techniques to investigate the presence of Bd in introduced North American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) (referred to hereafter as bullfrog) and native amphibians in bullfrog-invaded areas of the Yunnan Province, China. A total of 259 samples at five wild sites were collected between June and September in 2007 and 2008, including bullfrogs and four native amphibian species (Rana pleuraden, Rana chaochiaoensis, Odorrana andersonii, and Bombina maxima). In addition, 37 samples of adult bullfrogs were obtained from a food market. Bd infections were discovered in bullfrogs and three native amphibian species from all of the surveyed sites. Of the 39 Bd-positive samples, 35 were from wild-caught bullfrog tadpoles, postmetamorphic bullfrogs, R. pleuraden, R. chaochiaoensis, and O. andersonii, and four were from adult bullfrogs from the market. Our results provide the first evidence of the presence of Bd in Chinese amphibians, suggesting that native amphibian diversity in China is at risk from Bd. There is an urgent need to monitor the distribution of Bd in amphibians in China and understand the susceptibility of native amphibian species to chytridiomycosis. Strict regulations on the transportation of bullfrogs and the breeding of bullfrogs in markets and farms should be drafted in order to stop the spread of Bd by bullfrogs.     

Bullfrog (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lithobates catesbeianus</Emphasis>) invasion in Uruguay

This is the first report of North American bullfrogs, Lithobates catesbeianus (=Rana catesbeiana), invasion in Uruguay. This Anura was introduced for farming proposes in 1987, but at present most of the farms are closed. At one of these closed farms, located at Rincón de Pando, Canelones, we report the occurrence of a feral population of L. catesbeianus. This invasion point is at an early stage and restricted to one or two ponds. We also report the effects of L. catesbeianus invasion in the community structure. This includes species composition and species size structure. In this system bullfrog tadpoles constitute a very important proportion of the present biomass. Bullfrog tadpoles appear to be displacing native amphibians and having some type of positive interaction with fishes. At the invaded system we found more fish species and larger sizes of the shared fish species. We analyze the involved risks of this invasion, the ecological impact by predation, the competition and habitat modification, and the potential of bullfrog to act as pathogens vector. We also recommend taking measures in order to avoid the expansion of this population. There is also the need of studies to search for new invasion points in Uruguay, especially where bullfrog farms were located.     

Why islands are easier to invade: human influences on bullfrog invasion in the Zhoushan archipelago and neighboring mainland China

Islands are often considered easier to invade than mainland locations because of lower biotic resistance, but this hypothesis is difficult to test. We compared invasion success (the probability of establishing a wild reproducing population) for bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) introduced to enclosures on 26 farms on islands in the Zhoushan archipelago and 15 farms in neighboring mainland China. Bullfrogs were more likely to invade farms located on islands with lower native frog species richness than mainland farms, consistent with the biotic resistance hypothesis. However, human frog hunting pressure also differed between islands and the mainland and, along with the number of bullfrogs raised in enclosures, was a stronger predictor of invasion success than native frog richness in multiple regression. Variation in hunting pressure was also able to account for the difference in invasion success between islands and mainlands: islands had lower hunting pressure and thus higher invasion probability. We conclude that the ease with which bullfrogs have invaded islands of the Zhoushan archipelago relative to the mainland has little to do with biotic resistance but results from variation in factors under human control.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Diet composition of post-metamorphic bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) in the Zhoushan archipelago, Zhejiang Province, China

Bullfrogs (Runa catesbeiana) are listed as one of the 100 worst invasive alien species in the world.They are generalist predators and thus may affect native species through predation.In previous studies,the food contents of bullfrogs were mostly examined at a single site.In the present study,the diet composition of post-metamorphic bullfrogs on eight islands (Daishan,Liuheng,Xiushan,Fodu,Taohua,Xiashi,Cezi,and Putuoshan) in the Zhoushan Archipelago,Zhejiang Province of China,were examined by using the stomach flushing method from June 30 to August 11 in 2005.A total 0f391 individual frogs were measured,including 113 adults and 278 juveniles.The analysis of the stomach contents shows that,for adult bullfrogs,the most important prey (by diet volume) overall were Decapoda,Coleoptera,Odonata,Mesogastropoda,Raniformes,and Cypriniformes.For juvenile bullfrogs,these were Decapoda,Coleoptera,Cypriniformes,Odonata,Orthoptera,Hymenoptera,Lepidoptera larvae,Mesogastropoda,and Raniformes.Moreover,the prey size and diet volume increased with the body size of both adult and juvenile bullfrogs.The diet composition of primary preys of bullfrogs was significantly different among the islands.The results indicate that bullfrogs exert different predatory influences on native fauna at different sites and that bullfrogs are generalist predators with extensive ecological impacts on native fauna.     

An exotic species is the favorite prey of a native enemy

Although native enemies in an exotic species'' new range are considered to affect its ability to invade, few studies have evaluated predation pressures from native enemies on exotic species in their new range. The exotic prey naiveté hypothesis (EPNH) states that exotic species may be at a disadvantage because of its naïveté towards native enemies and, therefore, may suffer higher predation pressures from the enemy than native prey species. Corollaries of this hypothesis include the native enemy preferring exotic species over native species and the diet of the enemy being influenced by the abundance of the exotic species. We comprehensively tested this hypothesis using introduced North American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus, referred to as bullfrog), a native red-banded snake (Dinodon rufozonatum, the enemy) and four native anuran species in permanent still water bodies as a model system in Daishan, China. We investigated reciprocal recognition between snakes and anuran species (bullfrogs and three common native species) and the diet preference of the snakes for bullfrogs and the three species in laboratory experiments, and the diet preference and bullfrog density in the wild. Bullfrogs are naive to the snakes, but the native anurans are not. However, the snakes can identify bullfrogs as prey, and in fact, prefer bullfrogs over the native anurans in manipulative experiments with and without a control for body size and in the wild, indicating that bullfrogs are subjected to higher predation pressures from the snakes than the native species. The proportion of bullfrogs in the snakes'' diet is positively correlated with the abundance of bullfrogs in the wild. Our results provide strong evidence for the EPNH. The results highlight the biological resistance of native enemies to naïve exotic species.     

Habitat connectivity and resident shared predators determine the impact of invasive bullfrogs on native frogs in farm ponds

Habitat connectivity is considered to have an important role on the persistence of populations in the face of habitat fragmentation, in particular, for species with conservation concern. However, it can also impose indirect negative effects on native species through the spread of invasive species. Here, we investigated direct and indirect effects of habitat connectivity on populations of invasive bullfrogs and native wrinkled frogs and how these effects are modified by the presence of common carp, a resident shared predator, in a farm pond system in Japan. The distribution pattern analysis using a hierarchical Bayesian modelling indicated that bullfrogs had negative effects on wrinkled frogs, and that these negative effects were enhanced with increasing habitat connectivity owing to the metapopulation structure of bullfrogs. The analysis also suggested that common carp mitigated these impacts, presumably owing to a top-down trophic cascade through preferential predation on bullfrog tadpoles. These presumed interspecific interactions were supported by evidence from laboratory experiments, i.e. predation by carp was more intense on bullfrog tadpoles than on wrinkled frog tadpoles owing to the difference in refuge use. Our results indicate that metacommunity perspectives could provide useful insights for establishing effective management strategies of invasive species living in patchy habitats.     

Transmission of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis to wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) via a bullfrog (L. catesbeianus) vector

Chytridiomycosis, an emerging infectious disease caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, threatens anuran populations worldwide. Effects of B. dendrobatidis on frog species are variable. Some species typically develop nonlethal infections and may function as carriers; others typically develop lethal infections that can lead to population declines. Nonlethal infections in the bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) are well-documented. In contrast, recently metamorphosed wood frogs (L. sylvaticus) can die from chytridiomycosis. We conducted an ex-situ experiment between May and July 2010 to determine whether B. dendrobatidis-infected bullfrogs could transmit the fungus to wood frog tadpoles when the two species shared a body of water. We tested for B. dendrobatidis infections with quantitative polymerase chain reactions (qPCR) in a subsample of the wood frog tadpoles and in all metamorphosed wood frogs and compared risk of death of froglets exposed and unexposed to infected bullfrogs. We detected B. dendrobatidis sporadically in subsampled treatment tadpoles (nine of 90, 10%) and frequently in treatment froglets (112 of 113, 99.1%). Pooled risk of froglet death was higher (P<0.001) in treatment enclosures than in control enclosures. Our results indicate that, at the low infection loads bullfrogs tend to carry, swabbing for PCR analyses may underestimate prevalence of B. dendrobatidis in this species. We highlight bullfrog disease screening as a management challenge, especially in light of exotic bullfrog colonies on multiple continents and large-scale global trade in this species. We document the importance of quantifying lethal and sublethal effects of bullfrog vectors on B. dendrobatidis-susceptible species.     

Diet composition of post-metamorphic bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) in the Zhoushan archipelago, Zhejiang Province, China

Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) are listed as one of the 100 worst invasive alien species in the world. They are generalist predators and thus may affect native species through predation. In previous studies, the food contents of bullfrogs were mostly examined at a single site. In the present study, the diet composition of post-metamorphic bullfrogs on eight islands (Daishan, Liuheng, Xiushan, Fodu, Taohua, Xiashi, Cezi, and Putuoshan) in the Zhoushan Archipelago, Zhejiang Province of China, were examined by using the stomach flushing method from June 30 to August 11 in 2005. A total of 391 individual frogs were measured, including 113 adults and 278 juveniles. The analysis of the stomach contents shows that, for adult bullfrogs, the most important prey (by diet volume) overall were Decapoda, Coleoptera, Odonata, Mesogastropoda, Raniformes, and Cypriniformes. For juvenile bullfrogs, these were Decapoda, Coleoptera, Cypriniformes, Odonata, Orthoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera larvae, Mesogastropoda, and Raniformes. Moreover, the prey size and diet volume increased with the body size of both adult and juvenile bullfrogs. The diet composition of primary preys of bullfrogs was significantly different among the islands. The results indicate that bullfrogs exert different predatory influences on native fauna at different sites and that bullfrogs are generalist predators with extensive ecological impacts on native fauna. __________ Translated from Biodiversity Science, 2006, 14 (5): 363–371 [译自: 生 物多样性]