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Eleutherodactylus Johnstonei (Leptodactylidae)

Eleutherodactylus Johnstonei (Leptodactylidae)

The neotropical frog species, Eleutherodactylus johnstonei, is of widespread occurrence in the Lesser Antilles. This terrestrial amphibian primarily occupies disturbed habitats, although it may also be found in mature forest areas. Research has shown that dense ground vegetation tends to favor the frog's growth and reproduction. Moisture provided by such an environment may facilitate breeding. In recent years, these behaviors have received considerable attention. The male frogs' approach to mating seems to be inordinately complex. E. johnstonei males generally employ an assortment of tactics designed to enhance their reproductive success. The particular strategy chosen by individual frogs at any given time may depend on several different variables.

One island where the E. johnstonei population has been extensively investigated is Barbados in the West Indies. The research performed on the island has generally involved two separate and distinct habitats. Ovaska (1991), for example, examined E. johnstonei living in both a flower bed and a forest. The flower bed site occurred near the Bellairs Research Institute and was, therefore, called the Bellairs site. The forested study area was named the Greenwich site. The author examined the frogs' population structure, growth, reproduction, and use of retreats through markrecapture methods. During the study, such characteristics as frog identity, location, microhabitat, perch height, snoutvent length, sex, and reproductive condition were noted. Reproductive condition included whether or not the males were "calling," or vocalizing to attract a mate; and also whether or not the females contained visible eggs (3:425). These data were recorded each time a frog was captured. As is illustrated by Ovaska's table 1, E. johnstonei's reproduction is certainly seasonal. Moreover, at both the Bellairs and Greenwich locations, the ...

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Eleutherodactylus Johnstonei (Leptodactylidae). (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 11:15, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1708372.html