Elevational Effects on the Growth and Development of Tadpoles of Sauter's Frog Rana Sauteri Boulenger in Taiwan

海拔對台灣山區梭德氏赤蛙蝌蚪生長與發育的影響

賴肅如(Su-Ju Lai) ； 關永才(Yeong-Choy Kam) ； 許富雄(Fu-Hsiung Hsu) ； 林曜松(Yao-Sung Lin)

《Acta Zoologica Taiwanica》 13卷1期 (2002/01) Pp. 11-20

https://doi.org/10.6576/AZT.2002.13.(1).2

摘要

本研究調查了溪頭(1100m)與眠月(2350m)兩地梭德氏赤蛙族群蝌蚪的生長與發育。在溪頭，自十一月至三月皆可發現不同發育期的蝌蚪，顯示溪頭族群蝌蚪期延長且族群內蝌蚪的生長與發育不同步。在眠月，大部分的蝌蚪在八月發育至第二期(Phase 2)後停滯發育，但仍繼續生長至十一月。蝌蚪在隔年春季恢復生長與發育並在六月前達到變態。眠月蝌蚪及早停滯發育可使蝌蚪集中能量於生長，以便寒冬之前獲得較大的體型。及早停滯發育也可使蝌蚪只發育至較簡單的外型（第二期）越冬，以降低附肢凍傷的可能性及蝌蚪的死亡率。本文結果顯示，兩個地區蝌蚪生長與發育形式的差異可能是促使梭德氏赤蛙能分佈在臺灣山區的重要適應策略。

關鍵字

生長 ； 發育 ； 變態 ； 越冬 ； 亞熱帶 ； 熱帶 ； 蝌蚪

並列摘要

The patterns of growth and development of tadpoles of Rana sauteri at Chitou (1000 m) and Mienyueh (2350 m) were investigated. At Chitou, tadpoles of different developmental stages could be found from December to March, indicating that the larval period is prolonged, and the growth and development of tadpoles are not synchronized. At Mienyueh, the majority of tadpoles ceased to develop after reaching phase 2 in August even though they did not stop growing until December. Tadpoles resumed growth and development the following spring, and underwent metamorphosis by June. It appears that tadpoles ceased to develop early enough so that they could channel a greater proportion of energy into growth to obtain a larger size to better survive the cold winter. In addition, tadpoles at Mienyueh ceased to develop early enough so that they could overwinter in phase 2, a simpler type, to reduce the risk of limb frostbite and larval mortality during the extreme cold temperatures between December and February. Our results suggest that the different patterns of larval growth and development in these two R. sauteri populations are adaptive strategies for the survival of tadpoles in the mountains of Taiwan.

並列關鍵字

Growth ； development ； metamorphosis ； overwintering ； subtropics ； tropics ； tadpoles