Development and growth of Northern Leopard Frog, Lithobates pipiens, tadpoles in North American Waterfowl Management Plan permanent basins and in natural wetlands

Abstract

We monitored the development and growth of a cohort of Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) tadpoles, in one North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) permanent basin and in one natural environment, a bay of the St. Lawrence River. We wanted to know if this kind of artificial wetland could be considered as suitable habitat for this declining species and compare the environment that was provided to the tadpoles to those found in natural conditions. We also measured metamorphs' snout-vent length at three different permanent basins and natural bays to verify if the results from the detailed monitoring could be generalized. Our results have showed that the tadpoles were able to complete their development in the permanent basin and that their growth was superior to those from the natural site. The metamorphs from the permanent basins were also, on average, longer than those from the natural sites. The NAWMP permanent basins are suitable for the Northern Leopard Frog and could be a useful tool in the conservation of this species.