Characterisation of 9 polymorphic microsatellite markers for the Critically Endangered lemur leaf frog Agalychnis lemur

Abstract

We characterise nine polymorphic microsatellites for the Critically Endangered lemur leaf frog, Agalychnis lemur. We found between 3 and 8 alleles per locus in 48 captive individuals originating from the last two currently known remaining wild populations of these frogs in Costa Rica. We attribute observed deviations from Hardy–Weinberg and linkage equilibrium to inbreeding and population substructure in captivity. The newly designed loci will be used to establish the first genetically-informed amphibian studbook for captive breeding and conservation purposes.