New Oviposition Site

Oviposition Site 1Oviposition Site 3
Oviposition Site 2

A site of oviposition of the salamander Hynobius hidamontanus, newly found in Hokujo, Hakuba-mura, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, by the couple, Fujio Kishi and Toyo Kishi, several days before the present survey on 3 May 2003 (air temperature of approximately 24 C).

(A) Gross appearance of the oviposition site. A breeding fountain is found at the back of bamboo bushes seen in the central region, which is up from a wetland at the side of a forest road. Near this site, there is a shallow pond in which the tree frog Zhangixalus arboreus (formerly Rhacophorus arboreus) breeds.

(B) A main area of the fountain where several trees have been fallen down. Many of 16 pairs of egg sacs were deposited around the peripheral region of the fountain (water temperature of about 9 C). Among these, six pairs of egg sacs were assembled in a space with a fist-size under a fallen tree. Developmental stages of embryos were between yolk plug and pre-tail bud. The number of eggs in an egg sac was from 16-42. An overwintering larva was captured around the central region of the fountain.

(C) Gross appearance of the fountain with a 7.3 x 1.5 m area. A brown area at the left front indicates the source of the fountain (water temperature of approximately 7 C). A 9.4 m-long distance of gentle stream is heading down from the fountain toward the wetland.

Accompanied Collaborating Researchers: Masaichi Kakegawa, Fujio Kishi, Chiyuki Momose, Sayoko Murakami, Chieko Nagata, Yuko Saikawa, and an anonymous person (alphabetical order).


Copyright 2003-2021 Masato Hasumi, Dr. Sci. All rights reserved.
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