Journal of Environmental Biology

Prevalence of malformed frogs in Kaoping and Tungkang

river basins of southern Taiwan

 

Da-Ji Huang¹, Yuh-Wen Chiu², Chien-Min Chen¹, Kai-Hsiang Huang³ and Shu-Yin Wang*⁴

 

¹Department of Environmental Resources Management, Chia Nan University of

Pharmacy and Science, Tainan - 71710, Taiwan, Republic of China

²Faculty of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan

³Institute of Fisheries Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan, Republic of China

⁴Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, Chinese Culture University, Yang Ming Shan, Taipei 111, Taiwan, Republic of China

(Received: January 29, 2009; Revised received: May 20, 2009; Accepted: June 26, 2009)

 

Abstract: In this study, we found many amphibians with bizarre appearances, known as malformations in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan.? For this investigation we collected frogs inhabiting the Kaoping and Tungkang river watersheds between February 2006 and June 2007.? Among the total number of 10,909 normal frogs (i.e., anurans) collected during the investigation period, the Indian rice frogs (Rana limnocharis) account for the greatest number; next is the Chinese bullfrog (Rana rugulosa). Of all the 244 captured malformed frogs, the Indian rice frog account for the greatest proportion. These malformed frogs have their main distribution in upstream areas of these two rivers.? Our result indicates that the appearance rate of malformed frogs is 1.8% in the upstream reaches of the Kaoping River and 2.6%, and 0.8%, respectively in the upstream and midstream reaches of the Tungkang river.? The most-commonly-found malformation is the lack of palms, followed by the lack of appendages, exostosis, and a malformed appendicular.? It is, therefore, reasonable to speculate that the causes for the malformation may be related to the increased organic pollutants and agricultural chemicals used in the upstream reaches of these two rivers.

Key words: Anurans, Malformed frog, Southern Taiwan, Indian rice frog (Rana limnocharis)

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