First report of overwintering tadpoles in the endemic Italian agile frog Rana latastei
Climate change is affecting organism seasonality patterns, and this can drive phenological shifts for key traits, including breeding activity. Here we report a first record of overwintering tadpoles of the Italian agile frog (Rana latastei), a threatened endemic species of Northern Italy. This spec...
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| Language: | English |
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Firenze University Press
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Acta Herpetologica |
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| Online Access: | https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/ah/article/view/17665 |
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| author | Andrea Melotto Antonio Serafino Melotto Gentile Francesco Ficetola Raoul Manenti Mattia Falaschi |
| author_facet | Andrea Melotto Antonio Serafino Melotto Gentile Francesco Ficetola Raoul Manenti Mattia Falaschi |
| author_sort | Andrea Melotto |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Climate change is affecting organism seasonality patterns, and this can drive phenological shifts for key traits, including breeding activity. Here we report a first record of overwintering tadpoles of the Italian agile frog (Rana latastei), a threatened endemic species of Northern Italy. This species usually breeds between late January and April, with tadpoles reaching metamorphosis by early summer. In February 2025, together with the first freshly-laid egg-clutches of the season, several large-sized tadpoles were found in one reproductive site of R. latastei in Como province. A few days after hatching, six individuals from newly hatched tadpole cohorts and six individuals from large-sized cohorts were captured, photographed and measured. Concurrently, a newly metamorphosed froglet was found. Results from morphological inspections revealed that individuals showed typical traits of R. latastei. Moreover, while newly hatched tadpoles were at development Gosner’s stages 25-26, large cohort individuals were visibly bigger and at late development stage, which was not compatible with the classical late winter breeding timing of this species. Our study shows for the first time a case of overwintering in R. latastei, suggesting shifts in this frog development trajectory (prolonged larval time) or breeding habits (autumnal reproduction) may be occurring. While mechanisms behind this unusual observation have to be ascertained, such a phenological shift might have been favoured by variation in climatic regime.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0e216c602b9c46bda59f38521d72c1dc |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1827-9635 1827-9643 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Firenze University Press |
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| series | Acta Herpetologica |
| spelling | doaj-art-0e216c602b9c46bda59f38521d72c1dc2025-08-20T02:50:41ZengFirenze University PressActa Herpetologica1827-96351827-96432025-07-0110.36253/a_h-17665First report of overwintering tadpoles in the endemic Italian agile frog Rana latasteiAndrea Melotto0Antonio Serafino Melotto1Gentile Francesco Ficetola2Raoul Manenti3Mattia Falaschi4Department of Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di MilanoVia Magni 41, 22044, Inverigo, ItalyDepartment of Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di MilanoDepartment of Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di MilanoDepartment of Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano Climate change is affecting organism seasonality patterns, and this can drive phenological shifts for key traits, including breeding activity. Here we report a first record of overwintering tadpoles of the Italian agile frog (Rana latastei), a threatened endemic species of Northern Italy. This species usually breeds between late January and April, with tadpoles reaching metamorphosis by early summer. In February 2025, together with the first freshly-laid egg-clutches of the season, several large-sized tadpoles were found in one reproductive site of R. latastei in Como province. A few days after hatching, six individuals from newly hatched tadpole cohorts and six individuals from large-sized cohorts were captured, photographed and measured. Concurrently, a newly metamorphosed froglet was found. Results from morphological inspections revealed that individuals showed typical traits of R. latastei. Moreover, while newly hatched tadpoles were at development Gosner’s stages 25-26, large cohort individuals were visibly bigger and at late development stage, which was not compatible with the classical late winter breeding timing of this species. Our study shows for the first time a case of overwintering in R. latastei, suggesting shifts in this frog development trajectory (prolonged larval time) or breeding habits (autumnal reproduction) may be occurring. While mechanisms behind this unusual observation have to be ascertained, such a phenological shift might have been favoured by variation in climatic regime. https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/ah/article/view/17665Amphibiansanuransbreedingclimate changeglobal warmingfroglet |
| spellingShingle | Andrea Melotto Antonio Serafino Melotto Gentile Francesco Ficetola Raoul Manenti Mattia Falaschi First report of overwintering tadpoles in the endemic Italian agile frog Rana latastei Acta Herpetologica Amphibians anurans breeding climate change global warming froglet |
| title | First report of overwintering tadpoles in the endemic Italian agile frog Rana latastei |
| title_full | First report of overwintering tadpoles in the endemic Italian agile frog Rana latastei |
| title_fullStr | First report of overwintering tadpoles in the endemic Italian agile frog Rana latastei |
| title_full_unstemmed | First report of overwintering tadpoles in the endemic Italian agile frog Rana latastei |
| title_short | First report of overwintering tadpoles in the endemic Italian agile frog Rana latastei |
| title_sort | first report of overwintering tadpoles in the endemic italian agile frog rana latastei |
| topic | Amphibians anurans breeding climate change global warming froglet |
| url | https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/ah/article/view/17665 |
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