We used skeletochronology to estimate the age and growth patterns of a subtropical high-elevation Torrent Frog, Amolops mantzorum, based on 138 adult specimens from western China. The lines of arrested growth in phalanges were distinct, and each line was assumed to represent one year of age. Mean age of adult male frogs was 4.3 yr (SD = 1.3, range 2–7), significantly younger than 5.2 yr (SD = 1.4, range 3–9) in adult females. At the same age, males were significantly shorter in body length than females, and females appeared to require an extra year postmetamorphosis to reach maturation. The von Bertalanffy model described the growth of the frogs well, with males having a growth rate significantly lower than females.
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1 March 2010
Age and Growth of a Subtropical High-Elevation Torrent Frog, Amolops mantzorum, in Western China
Wen Bo Liao,
Xin Lu
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