@article{dc9dee66cbd9440d84c83c71cae533e2,
title = "Morphological Abnormalities in the Gopher Frog (Lithobates capito) During a Headstarting Event",
abstract = "Conservation plans to protect Gopher Frog (Lithobates capito) populations commonly include headstarting to improve recruitment to the juvenile stage. Headstarting is being used across multiple federal, state, non-government, and academic organizations to augment and/or reintroduce Gopher Frog populations. In 2021, 99% of the 332 Gopher Frogs headstarted during the egg and larval stage at the University of Georgia Savannah River Ecology Laboratory in South Carolina displayed morphological abnormalities at metamorphosis. These included skin, eye, gill, and jaw abnormalities plus edema and redness of the skin. Skin abnormalities were the most prevalent, affecting 99.1% of frogs. Using a quantitative scoring system, we scored a subset of 92 frogs at metamorphosis and between 8–26 d after metamorphosis; all except eye abnormalities either partially or fully recovered. Based on photographs of early-stage tadpoles taken for a separate experiment, 79% of tadpoles had eye abnormalities as early as 16 d post-hatch. Except for gills and bloating, we found that models including mesocosm as a predictor had greater Akaike Information Criterion weights than those that did not have mesocosm as a predictor, suggesting the cause may be related to mesocosm-specific conditions. Since 2017, abnormalities in either Gopher Frogs or federally listed Dusky Gopher Frogs (L. sevosus) have been reported from at least six other headstarting facilities. It is unclear whether these abnormalities are related to captive conditions or are occurring in wild populations as well. Collection of additional data on rearing conditions will aid in determining relationships between headstarting environments and health of metamorphs.",
keywords = "Lithobates sevosus, Rana capito, conservation, malformation, mesocosm, metamorph",
author = "McFall, {Adam J.} and Nelson, {Kiersten N.} and Stonecypher, {E. Tucker} and Swartzbaugh, {Christian S.} and Allender, {Matthew C.} and Burrell, {Caitlin E.} and Yabsley, {Michael J.} and Lance, {Stacey L.}",
note = "Many thanks to Gabriela Rodriguez, Justin Peterson, and Heather Latham for assistance with frog husbandry and to John Maerz, Dustin Smith, and Joe Pechmann for their input on the abnormalities. We are grateful to David Scott for help with egg mass surveys, Jason O{\textquoteright}Bryhim for photographing tadpoles, and Dennis Fraser for making artificial burrows for the captive enclosures. This paper is based upon work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. 1842396, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management under Award Number DE–EM0005228 to the University of Georgia Research Foundation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (F21AC02583). Additional support for the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) came from continued financial support from SCWDS member state wildlife agencies provided by the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Act (50 Stat. 917) and SCWDS federal agency partners, including the Ecosystems Mission Area of the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Wildlife Refuge System of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Animals were collected under South Carolina Department of Natural Resources permit # SC-43–2021 following IACUC procedures approved by the University of Georgia (AUPs A2020 12–010–Y2-A2 and A2021 06–014-Y2-A3). Photographs Fig.1C and Fig.1D were enhanced with Adobe{\textregistered} Photoshop{\textregistered} (Adobe Incorporated, San Jose, California, USA). Disclaimer: This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States. Acknowledgments.—Many thanks to Gabriela Rodriguez, Justin Peterson, and Heather Latham for assistance with frog husbandry and to John Maerz, Dustin Smith, and Joe Pechmann for their input on the abnormalities. We are grateful to David Scott for help with egg mass surveys, Jason O{\textquoteright}Bryhim for photographing tadpoles, and Dennis Fraser for making artificial burrows for the captive enclosures. This paper is based upon work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. 1842396, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management under Award Number DE–EM0005228 to the University of Georgia Research Foundation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (F21AC02583). Additional support for the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) came from continued financial support from SCWDS member state wildlife agencies provided by the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Act (50 Stat.",
year = "2023",
month = dec,
language = "English (US)",
volume = "18",
pages = "436--449",
journal = "Herpetological Conservation and Biology",
issn = "2151-0733",
publisher = "Herpetological Conservation and Biology",
number = "3",
}