The British Herpetological Society

The Herpetological Journal is the Society's prestigious quarterly scientific journal. Articles are listed in Biological Abstracts, Current Awareness in Biological Sciences,Current Contents, Science Citation Index, and Zoological Record.

 ISSN 0268-0130

2021 Impact Factor from Clarivate for the Herpetological Journal is 1.194, an increase of 0.332 from 2020.


pdf 05. Spatial structure and regulation of a population of the brown frog Rana macrocnemis in Georgia

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Open Access

pp.169-177

Authors: David N .Tarkhni Shvili And Ramaz Gokhelashvili

Abstract: A spatially structured population of the brown frog Rana macrocnemis was studied over seven consecutive years in the valley of a small mountain river. Frogs spawned in numerous temporary pools and puddles situated along the river bed. The overall number of reproductive females varied between 868 and 1146 during the course of study. The population had a 'sourcesink' spatial structure: 88% of all froglets metamorphosed in just a few of the sites. Density dependent mortality of larvae did not significantly affect the overall number of metamorphs. However, the variation in size of the whole population and of one of the two sub-populations was density-dependent. The most important cause of regulation appears to be density-dependent dispersal of juveniles from sources to adjacent sinks. Sinks often had a high number of ' traps' - large well-illuminated pools that frogs prefer for egg deposition but which desiccate during the course of larval development more often than the deep and cold, less attractive breeding sites.

Keywords: Rana macrocnemis, frog populations, spatial ecology

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IMPORTANT NOTE - JUNE 2020

Please note that as from Volume 31 Number 1 (January 2021) on, the Herpetological Journal will be available as an online publication only - the last print edition will be Volume 30 Number 4.   

Aligning with this change, it is now no longer possible to purchase a subscription that includes a print copy of the HJ.  All members who have existing HJ print subscriptions that remain active as at end June 2020 will receive the full four 2020 print editions.  New subscribers or renewals after this time will only have option to subscribe to the online only subscription package.  Subscription pricing has been amended to reflect the content changes.