• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.253-264
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• 1996

The ultrastructure of spermatozoa in urodeles and primitive anurans was examined and compared. The spermatozoa of urodeles are characterized by seven plesiomorphies in subacrosomal cone, endounclear canal. perforatorium, ring, marginal filament, undulating membrane and tail axis. Most primitive anuran spermatozoa have no marginal filament, subacrosomal cone and ring structure with the exception of having the subacrosomal cone in Ascaphus and the ring in Discohlossus as compared with those of urodeles. Persistence of the subacrosomal cone and the ring structure is typical in most urodeles and is further linked with the primitive anurans. Therefore, these characters are regarded as symplesiomorphies in urodeles and primitive anurans. The organization of sperm tail, endounclear canal and perforatorium indicates a close phylogenetic relationship between urodeles and the primitives anurans.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.159-162
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• 1974

Serum protein and hemoglobin patterns were obtained by cellulose acetate electrophoresis for several anurans. Differences were found both in the number of components from individual animal hemoglobins and in the mobility of these components. Under the conditions employed, toad and R. plancyichosenica had a single component. Other frogs showed 2-component pattern. Sera of all anurans examined contain albumin but no preablumin. Relatively few assayable proteins are found in serum from B. buro gragraizans and differ thereby from most serum patterns examined for frogs, which show complex serum protein bands. Different species have dissimilar patterns although some of bands are apparently homologous between species.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.358-365
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• 2019

We measured the body composition, including bone mineral density (BMD) and food resource availability using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of body condition of 4 anuran species(Hyla japonica, Glandirana rugosa, Pelophylax nigromaculatus, Lithobates catesbeianus) in South Korea. Additionally, the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios were employed to determine the food resource availability of anurans. We figured out the relationship between the body composition, including BMDs and food resource availability. The body composition and BMDs did not differ between male and female while there was difference among the species. Food resource availability and BMDs were the highest in L. catesbeianus, the lowest in H. japonica. BMDs tended to increase with higher food resource availability. Body composition and BMDs, which represent the body condition of an individual, can be used as an ecological indicator to assess the stability of the habitat of anurans.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.32-40
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• 2022

The trade-off between morphology and physical function may vary according to ecological traits. Taking a quantitative approach, we attempted to analyze the differences in the skeletal shape of the lower body and limbs in relation to the ecological traits of four anuran species (Dryophytes japonicus, Glandirana rugosa, Pelophylax nigromaculatus, and Lithobates catesbeianus) occurring in South Korea. Body size, locomotor mode, microhabitat, trophic positions, and predator defense mechanisms were selected for the ecological traits of the anurans. The pelvis, ilium, and urostyle, which are associated with locomotor performance, were selected for the skeletal shape of the lower body. The ratio of limbs, which is related to locomotor mode and microhabitat, was confirmed by analyzing the skeletons of the forelimbs (radio-ulnar and humerus) and hindlimbs (femur and tibiofibular). Both landmark-based geometric morphometrics and traditional methods were used for skeletal shape comparison. The skeletal shape of the lower body was completely different among the four species, whereas the ratio of the limbs was only different in D. japonicus. The skeletal shape of the lower body may be related to body mass and predator defense mechanisms, whereas the ratio of the limbs was related to the locomotor mode and microhabitat. Quantifying these morphological differences among various species can help elucidate the mechanisms of behavioral and morphological changes in response to ecological effects.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.25-28
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• 2002

The advertisement call of anurans functions to attract potential mates. The dominant frequency of an advertisement call is generally getting lower with increased snout-vent length (SVL) of the caller Rana rugosa has an advertisement call tilth a particularly high frequency modulation. We conducted a playback experiment to verify the function of frequency modulation, and investigated the territorial behavior of the frog. The frog has five types of territory defense strategy. Strategy choice depended on the caller's SVL. Small males became satellites or lowered the dominant frequency of their advertisement call, whereas large males actively defended their territory with encounter calls. In response to high frequency (1107 Hz) playback, the frogs lowered their advertisement call frequency, and towered them further in response to the low frequency (1028 Hz) playback. In addition, the number of pulses in a call was increased in response to the playback. These results indicate that the frog avoids physical conflict with competitors by selecting a territory defense strategy suitable for the caller's size, and by lowering its call frequency to disguise its SVL.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.35-38
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• 1962

Two subspecies are known to Family Hylidae(Order Anura) in Korea : namely , Hylaarborea japonica GUENTHER and H.a.stepheni BOULENGER, and they have been hitherto distinguished as different subspecies from four characteristics : the rate of interorbital to incternasal length, the rate of diameter of tympanum to diameter of 3 rd finger disc, the rate of the length of inner metatarsal tubercle to diameter of 3 rd finger disc, and the rate of inner metatarsal tubercle to the length of lst toe. The author has compared the above to subspecies for the characteristics with 123 individuals collected from ten different localities in Korea and has found that their fluctation curves overlap each other. The author considers, therefore, that the four characteristics could not be assumed as keys for the classification of the two subspecies and has reached the conclusion that these two subspecies should be regarded as one subspecies and Hyla arborea japonica GUENTHER should be given to both of them as the subspecies name.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.247-252
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• 1999

The aim of this study was to characterize antipredator tactics of anurans and to evaluate the effectiveness of these tactics for predator avoidance in real confrontations. Two types of experiments were conducted. In one experiment, one predator and one prey were placed together for one hour in a small confined space (one-to-one interaction). In another experiment, one predator and several prey were placed together for one day in a large enclosure in a field (field-based interaction). The prey consisted of three anuran species, Rana nigromaculata, R. rugosa, and Bombina orientalls: a snake species, Rhabdophis tigrinus tigrinus, was used as a predator. Results of both experiments demonstrated a range in antipredator responses of the frogs, from toxicity and warning coloration, coupled with slow responses in Bombina to little (or only slight) toxicity, crypsis, and fast take-off responses to the predator in the ranids. oth ranid species exhibited lower survival(57%) than Bombina (95%) in the field-based interaction, suggesting that motor responses of the palatable prey due to attacks of the predator ultimately limited their survival. The jumping of the ranids increased the activity of the predator, which became more likely to strike. Simple crouching(seen in R. rugosa and B. orientalis) and chemical defense (in Bombina) reduced predatory attacks.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.111-121
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• 1995

The ultrastructure of spermatozoa in Hynobius leechii was examined with transmission electron microscope and compared with those of other urodeles and anurans. The perforatorium and the tail show most of the common feature of urodeles. However, there were several ultrastructural characteristics in an acrosome, nucleus, neck, axial rod and mitochondria related to the nucleus. The acrosome was trifoliate in transverse sections and the perforatorium consisted of two different concentric parts with a fine sharp point in a subacrosomal lumen. The nucleus consisted of two different regions of chromatin area and nuclear ridge. The nuclear ridge was composed of several bundles of five to ten minute tubular subunits of 19 nm diameter in this species, while in higher urodeles it was well developed in multi layers. The protoplasmic bead was separated by a cytoplasmic canal except the connection with only the distal portion of the nucleus. The neck was a short cylinder and contained pericentriolar material with transverse striations. In Hynobius the ring was not elongated to the tail and the mitochondria were distributed only in the protoplasmic bead around the nucleus as in Cryptobranchus, while in higher groups of urodeles it elongates to the length of the middle piece and the mitochondria follow the ring. The ring elongation may be related to the distribution of mitochondria. Hynobiidae and Cryptobranchidae are closely related based on structure of neck, the axial rod and location of mitochondria, although they are different in the composition of the axial rod.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.219-225
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• 1992

The genetic variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was analysed within and between two species of tree frogs. Hyla japonica and H. suweonensis from South Korea. Purified mtDNAs were digested with each of 11 restriction enLvmes which cleave at six base recognition sequences. The genome size of H. iaponica revealed ho types (20.0 $\pm$ 0.3 and 19.6 $\pm$ 0.3 kb) and this difference is explained by either addition or deletion of about 0.4 kb fragment. On the other hand, the genome sire of H. suueonensis was about 19.0 $\pm$ 0.4 kb only. For the analysis, level of fragment homology (F) and nucleotide sequence divergence (p) were estimated from comparisons of digestion profiles. Among four populations of H. iaponica, substantial mean sequence divergence was 0.017 (range 0.001-0.026); between identical types, 0.001 IslilaRl type) and 0.004 (Large type) respectively; between different ones, 0.024 (range 0.023-0.026). The level of sequence divergence between he species was 0.142 (range 0.131-0.146). This result suggested that he species ㅂwere distinctly differentiated species. The divergence time between ko species was estimated 7.1 million years.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.260-267
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• 2012

Calling behavior is often used to infer breeding patterns in anurans. We studied the seasonal and diel calling activities of anuran species in a wetland in central Korea to determine the calling season and to evaluate the effects of abiotic factors on male calling. Acoustic monitoring was used in which frog calls were recorded for a full day, once a week, throughout an entire year. Using acoustic monitoring, we identified three frog species in the study site. Males of Rana dybowskii called in late winter and early spring; we thus classified this species as a winter/spring caller. The results of binary logistic regression showed that temperature, relative humidity, and 1-day lag rainfall were significant factors for male calling in R. dybowskii. Temperature and relative humidity were important factors for the calling activity of R. nigromaculata, whereas 24-h rainfall and 1-day lag rainfall were not significant. Thus, we determined R. nigromaculata to be a summer caller independent of weather. In Hyla japonica, relative humidity, 24-h rainfall, and 1- day lag rainfall were significant for male calling, suggesting that this species is a summer caller dependent on local rain.