Cold-Hardiness of the Common Spadefoot Pelobates Fuscus (Pelobatidae, Anura, Amphibia).


Journal

Cryo letters
ISSN: 0143-2044
Titre abrégé: Cryo Letters
Pays: England
ID NLM: 9891832

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
Historique:
entrez: 9 5 2021
pubmed: 1 9 2019
medline: 1 9 2019
Statut: ppublish

Résumé

Pelobates fuscus is an anuran amphibian that overwinters on land deep in soil, including regions with low sub-zero temperatures. It is not yet known if such behaviour can be explained by low cold-hardiness of the species. To measure cold-hardiness of P. fuscus and compare the results with data about its location in winter in nature. Lower lethal temperatures and supercooling points (SCP) were measured in specimens collected near the Saratov city in south-eastern European Russia. SCP of P. fuscus range from -1.7 to -2.7°C. All individuals withstood exposure of 1°С for 20 days; but freezing is lethal to animals: one individual out of five withstood exposure of -1°С for 3 days, and -2°С is lethal to all animals. The condition of supercooling is unstable. The lower tolerable temperature is probably about 0°С. Low cold hardiness determines overwintering deep in substrates, which allowed the species to disperse over a large geographical range, which also includes cold regions with little snow in winter.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
Pelobates fuscus is an anuran amphibian that overwinters on land deep in soil, including regions with low sub-zero temperatures. It is not yet known if such behaviour can be explained by low cold-hardiness of the species.
OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE
To measure cold-hardiness of P. fuscus and compare the results with data about its location in winter in nature.
METHODS METHODS
Lower lethal temperatures and supercooling points (SCP) were measured in specimens collected near the Saratov city in south-eastern European Russia.
RESULTS RESULTS
SCP of P. fuscus range from -1.7 to -2.7°C. All individuals withstood exposure of 1°С for 20 days; but freezing is lethal to animals: one individual out of five withstood exposure of -1°С for 3 days, and -2°С is lethal to all animals. The condition of supercooling is unstable.
CONCLUSION CONCLUSIONS
The lower tolerable temperature is probably about 0°С. Low cold hardiness determines overwintering deep in substrates, which allowed the species to disperse over a large geographical range, which also includes cold regions with little snow in winter.

Identifiants

pubmed: 33966066

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Pagination

284-290

Auteurs

Daniil I Berman (DI)

Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Magadan, Russia.

Nina A Bulakhova (NA)

Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Magadan; Research Institute of Biology and Biophysics, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia. sigma44@mail.ru.

Ekaterina N Meshcheryakova (EN)

Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Magadan, Russia.

Mikhail V Yermokhin (MV)

Saratov State University, Saratov, Russia.

Vasily G Tabachishin (VG)

Saratov branch of A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saratov, Russia.

Classifications MeSH