Roadside Sites of Oviposition

Population 4Population 6
Population 13Population 19

Several roadside sites of oviposition of the salamander Hynobius lichenatus (Hasumi and Iwasawa, 1987a, 1987b, 1988, 1993; for comparison, see Pond-Type Sites of Oviposition).

(A) Roadside pool in Mase-keikoku Valley, Hachimori-machi, Akita Prefecture, Japan (50 m elevation). On 5 May 1984, 12 breeding males and 3 pairs of egg sacs were found in this pool (approximately 15 cm deep; water temperature of 7.3 C), which was derived from rainfall collected in the track of some heavy vehicles for the construction of the forest road, Seishu-rindo ("Seishu" means Aomori-Akita). This forest road is heading to the Shirakami Mountain, which is famous for the rain forest of Fagus crenata. Near that pool, 1 male of the frog Buergeria buergeri was found on a log (time of day of examination: 0600-0800 h). Although more than 30 cm-deep snow had covered around on 24 April, it disappeared thoroughly at the time of examination.

(B) Roadside stream in Kawamata, Tamayama-mura, Iwate Prefecture, Japan (180 m elevation). This stream (water temperature of 11.4 C) included 18 breeding males and 10 pairs of egg sacs of H. lichenatus and 1 egg clump of the brown frog Rana ornativentris (22 April 1984).

(C) Fountain-flowing ditch in Hibara, Kitashiobara-mura, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan (820 m elevation). Mixed oviposition of H. lichenatus and H. nigrescens occurred in this ditch. On 7 May 1983, 3 males, 4 females, and 8 pairs of egg sacs of the former and 3 males and 11 pairs of egg sacs of the latter were found (any water temperature was not given in my field notes). On 17 May 1984, 6 males and 6 pairs of egg sacs of the former, 1 male and 5 pairs of egg sacs of the latter, and 3 egg clumps of R. ornativentris were recognized (water temperature of 13.0 C).

(D) Fountain-flowing ditch in Fujiwara, Minakami-machi, Gunma Prefecture, Japan (740 m elevation). This ditch contained 7 breeding males, 2 breeding females, and 60 pairs of egg sacs on 9 May 1983 (water temperature of 8.6 C) and 41 breeding males, 10 breeding females, and 20 pairs of egg sacs on 16 May 1984 (water temperatures of 9.0-9.5 C).


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