Interspecific Variations in Duration of Tail Regression in Two Tropical Anurans

Abstract

Anurans breed in an array of habitats and hence employ a variety of evolutionary strategies to adapt to the variable conditions. Particularly, since they undergo a larval phase they develop mechanisms to overcome unfavourable conditions like desiccation, extreme temperatures, and so forth. The anurans, Polypedates maculatus and Duttaphrynus melanostictus , show noticeable variation in the duration of larval period and tadpole tail regression. D. melanostictus breeds throughout the year and hence is subjected to different environmental conditions as compared to P. maculatus which breeds only during the rainy season. Thus, the tadpoles of D. melanostictus have selected to undergo a shorter larval period and duration of tail regression to suit their breeding habits. The present study correlates the interspecific difference in the duration of tail regression with the morphological variations in the tails of the two species. D. melanostictus shortens the duration of larval tail regression by having comparatively larger and more number of melanocytes and a thinner notochord than P. maculatus .