Fozia TABASSUM,Muhammad RAIS,Maqsood ANWAR,et al.Abundance and Breeding of the Common Skittering Frog (Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis) and Bull Frog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) at Rawal Lake, Islamabad, Pakistan[J].Asian Herpetological Research(AHR),2011,2(4):245-250.[doi:10.3724/SP.J.1245.2011.00245]

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Abundance and Breeding of the Common Skittering Frog (Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis) and Bull Frog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) at Rawal Lake, Islamabad, Pakistan

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Asian Herpetological Research[ISSN:2095-0357/CN:51-1735/Q]

Issue:

2011 VoI.2 No.4

Page:

245-250

Research Field:

Original Article

Publishing date:

2011-12-15

Info

Title:

Abundance and Breeding of the Common Skittering Frog (Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis) and Bull Frog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) at Rawal Lake, Islamabad, Pakistan

Author(s):

Fozia TABASSUM;  Muhammad RAIS^*;  Maqsood ANWAR;  Tariq MEHMOOD;  Iftikhar HUSSAIN and Shahid ALI KHAN

Department of Wildlife Management, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi 46300, Pakistan

Keywords:

Ranidae;  population status;  breeding;  habitat destruction

PACS:

-

DOI:

10.3724/SP.J.1245.2011.00245

Abstract:

The population density and breeding of two frog species, i. e., the Skittering Frog (Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis) and the Bull Frog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) were studied at Rawal Lake, Islamabad, Pakistan, by using visual encounter method from September 2009 to August 2010. Mean population density for the two frogs was 1.55 ± 0.44 frogs per ha, with that for the Skittering Frog being 1.09 ± 0.33 frogs/ha and that of the Bull Frog 0.46 ± 0.11 frog/ha, respectively. It is concluded that both frog species are explosive breeders, i. e., their breeding activities were confined to the first showers of the monsoon season. The mean spawn weight of the Skittering Frog was 1.5 g with more than 1000 eggs in each spawn, while that of the Bull Frog was 0.26 g with less than 1000 eggs in a spawn. The spawning sites of the two species were investigated in detail. Generally, no threat to their populations was observed. However, the opening of the spillway of Rawal Dam following the torrential rain destroyed the breeding sites of the frogs. It is maintained that the event did not produce any significant impact on their populations and breeding as the two species were quite common.

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