Artificial Production and Natural Breeding of the Endangered Frog Species Odorrana ishikawae, with Special Reference to Fauna Conservation in the Laboratory

Sumida Masayuki

Satou Naoki

Yoshikawa Natsuhiko

Kurabayashi Atsushi

Islam Mohammed Mafizul

Igawa Takeshi

Oumi Shohei

Katsuren Seiki

Ota Hidetoshi

Shintani Nozomi

Fukuniwa Hiroko

Sano Naomi

Fujii Tamotsu

Zoological Science

Odorrana ishikawae is listed as a class IB endangered species in the IUCN Red List and is protected by law in both Okinawa and Kagoshima Prefectures, Japan. Here, in an effort to help effectively preserve the genetic diversity of this endangered species in the laboratory, we tested a farming technique involving the artificial breeding of frogs, and also promoted natural breeding in the laboratory. Field-caught male/female pairs of the Amami and Okinawa Island populations were artificially bred using an artificial insemination method in the 2004, 2006, and 2008 breeding seasons (March to April). Although fewer than 50% of the inseminated eggs achieved metamorphosis, approximately 500, 300, and 250 offspring from the three respective trials are currently being raised in the laboratory. During the 2009 and 2010 breeding seasons, second-generation offspring were produced by the natural mating activities of the first offspring derived from the two artificial matings in 2004. The findings and the methods presented here appear to be applicable to the temporary protection of genetic diversity of local populations in which the number of individuals has decreased or the environmental conditions have worsened to levels that frogs are unable to survive by themselves.

artificial insemination

natural breeding

second generation

endangered frog

protected species

IUCN Red List

Odorrana ishikawae

Zoology [ 480 ]

eng

公益社団法人日本動物学会

(c) 2011 Zoological Society of Japan

[ISSN] 0289-0003

[DOI] 10.2108/zsj.28.834

[NCID] AA10545874

[DOI] http://dx.doi.org/10.2108/zsj.28.834