科研之友
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摘要
Feirana taihangnicus is a stream-living frog endemic to central China. We determined the demography of a population from north Henan province using skeletochronology. Males were smaller than females (67.1 +/- 1.0 and 77.8 +/- 1.0 mm snout vent length, respectively), and began reproduction earlier after metamorphosis (2 and 3 years of age, respectively). Accordingly, males attained younger ages (mean age 5.5 +/- 0.3 compared to 6.3 +/- 0.2 years in females), reached a shorter maximum lifespan (9 years compared to 10 years in females) and grew at a faster rate (von Bertalanffy's growth coefficient: 0.25 compared to 0.16 in females). Because tadpoles take 2-3 years to complete metamorphosis, these data suggest that F. taihangnicus spends at least 5-6 years between the egg stage and reaching adult. The slow life history and resultant low population turnover rates highlight a conservation concern for this high-elevation species.
