Population size, survival, growth, and movements of rana sierrae

Abstract

Based on 2431 captures of 757 individual frogs over a 9-yr period, we found that the population of R. sierrae in one meadow-stream complex in Yosemite National Park ranged from an estimated 45 to 115 adult frogs. Rana sierrae at our relatively low elevation site (2200 m) grew at a fast rate (K = 0.73-0.78), had high overwintering survival rates (44.6-95%), lived a long time (up to 16 yr), and tended to be fairly sedentary during the summer (100% minimum convex polygon annual home ranges of 139 m2) but had low year-to-year site fidelity. Even though the amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, Bd) has been present in the population for at least 13 yr, there was no clear downward trend as might be expected from reports of R. sierrae population declines associated with Bd or from reports of widespread population decline of R. sierrae throughout its range. © 2013 by The Herpetologists' League, Inc.