Distribution Characteristics of the Eggs, Tadpoles, and Metamorphs of the Northern Leopard Frog (Rana Pipiens) and Their Relation to Conservation Strategies

Anuran population persistence often hinges on successful metamorph dispersal, but information on this life-stage and its movement characteristics is scarce. Two years of monitoring the emigration patterns of metamorph Northern Leopard Frogs (Rana pipiens), a "Threatened" species in Alberta, revealed that they orient non-randomly upon emigration from their breeding pond. Emigration direction was similar between years and the short-term capture and handling of metamorphs does not appear to disrupt their natural emigration behaviour. Metamorph emigration patterns were not related to the non-random distributions of earlier life-stages (egg clusters and tadpoles), suggesting that metamorph R. pipiens orient on land using cues other than those detected during their larval period. Natural metamorph dispersal was compared to that of a reintroduced population and results suggest that reintroduced animals do not exhibit natural behaviour. My findings provide insight into the behaviour of metamorph anurans and have implications for R. pipiens conservation in Alberta.