Sannanegunda Venkatarama KRISHNAMURTHY, Das MEENAKUMARI

Nitrate-Induced Morphological Anomalies in the Tadpoles of Nyctibatrachus major and Fejervarya limnocharis (Anura: Ranidae)

The present study examined the effects of nitrate on the tadpoles of 2 ranid frogs (Nyctibatrachus major and Fejervarya limnocharis) studied under laboratory conditions. Tadpoles of these species were exposed to ecologically relevant concentrations of nitrates (0, 100, 2500, and 5000 µg NO3-N l-1). Upon exposure tadpoles of N. major showed protruded mouth, swollen body and head, paralysis, lateral and vertical swimming, restlessness, and wriggling movement. Tadpoles of F. limnocharis showed swollen body and head, bent tail, paralysis, restlessness, depigmentation, and intestinal hemorrhage. In both species, abnormalities increased with the increase in nitrate concentration. However, compared to F. limnocharis, tadpoles of N. major were more sensitive as they died before completing their larval tenure. Based on the results of this experiment, it is hypothesized that tadpoles of N. major are more sensitive and vulnerable to nitrate contamination.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Nitrate, abnormality, tadpoles, agriculture contamination

Nitrate-Induced Morphological Anomalies in the Tadpoles of Nyctibatrachus major and Fejervarya limnocharis (Anura: Ranidae)

Keywords:

Nitrate, abnormality, tadpoles, agriculture contamination,

PDF

___

Baker, J.M. and Waights, V. 1993. The effects of sodium nitrate on the growth and survival of toad tadpoles (Bufo bufo) in laboratory. Herpetological Journal 3: 147-148.
Burgett, A.A., Wright, C.D., Smith, G.R., Fortune, D.T. and Johnson, S.L. 2007. Impact of ammonium nitrate on wood frog (Rana sylvatica) tadpoles: Effects on survivorship and behavior. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 2: 29-34.
Dalton, R. 2002. Frogs put in a gender blender by America’s favorite herbicide. Nature 416: 665.
Edwards, T.M., McCoy, K., Barbeau, T., McCoy, M.W., Thro, J.M. and Guillette, L.J. Jr. 2006. Environmental context determines nitrate toxicity in Southern toad (Bufo terrestris) tadpoles. Aquatic Toxicology 78: 50-58.
Goolsby, D.A., Coupe, R.H. and Markovchick, D.J. 1991. Distribution of Selected Herbicides and Nitrate in the Mississippi River and Its Major Tributaries. U.S Geological Survey Report no. 9-4163. Denver.
Gosner, K.L. 1960. A simplified table for staging anuran embryos and larvae. Herpetology 16: 183-190.
Griffis-Kyle, K.L. 2007. Sublethal effects of nitrite on eastern tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum) and wood frog (Rana sylvatica) embryos and larvae: implications for field populations. Aquatic Ecology 41: 119-127.
Guillette, L.J. Jr. and Edwards, T.M. 2005. Is nitrate an ecologically relevant endocrine disruptor in vertebrates? Integr. Comp. Biol. 45: 19-27.
Gururaja, K.V., Manjunatha Reddy, A.H., Keshavayya, J. and Krishnamurthy, S.V. 2003. Habitat occupancy and factors influencing the restricted distribution of Nyctibatrachus major (Boulenger) in Central Western Ghats, India. Russian Journal of Herpetology 10: 87-92.
Hecnar, S.J. 1995. Acute and chronic toxicity of ammonium nitrate fertilizer to amphibians from southern Ontario. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 14: 2131-2137.
Johansson, M. 2004. Effects of agriculture on abundance, genetic diversity and fitness in the common frog Rana temporaria. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Uppsala, pp. 1-43.
Krishnamurthy, S.V. 2003. Amphibian diversity and consequences of habitat dissimilation on their distribution in central Western Ghats of Karnataka. In: SERC Research Highlight-June 2003. Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, New Delhi, pp. 9-38.
Krishnamurthy, S.V. and Hussain, S.A. 2004. Species composition and distribution status of amphibians in Kudremukh National Park with special reference to iron ore mining and habitat qualities. The Herpetological Journal 14: 139-145.
Marco, A., Quilchano, C. and Blaustein, A.R. 1999. Sensitivity to nitrate and nitrite in pond-breeding amphibians from the Pacific Northwest, USA. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 18: 2836-2839.
Orton, F., Carr, J.A. and Handy, R.D. 2006. Effects of nitrate and atrazine on larval development and sexual differentiation in the northern leopard frog Rana pipiens. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 25: 65-71.
Rouse, J.D., Bishop, C.A. and Struger, J. 1999. Nitrogen pollution: An assessment of its threat to amphibian survival. Environmental Health Perspectives 107: 799-803.
Xu, Q. and Oldham, R.S. 1997. Lethal and sublethal effects of nitrogen fertilizer ammonium nitrate on Common Toad (Bufo bufo) tadpoles. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 32: 298-303.