Brief Observations on the Body Temperature of Juveniles of the Frog Rana limnocharis limnocharis in the Tokashiki-jima Island of the Ryukyu Archipelago

Abstract

The frog Rana limnocharis is a widespread species, being distributed from South and Southeast Asia to the central Japan (Nakamura and Ueno , 1963). In the central Ryukyus, it inhabits only lowland habitats, whereas in the Yaeyama Islands it is found also in montane forests. Chigira and Shimabukuro (1982) reported its seasonal appearance in the central part of Okinawa-jima Island, but its ecology still remains mostly unknown. In the present note, I report some data on body and ambient temperatures of the juvenile frogs. Field work was done in the paddy fields at Tokashiki on Tokashiki-jima Island in the Ryukyu Archipelago from 17: 50 through 18: 30 on 5 August 1978. Because those frogs hidden in the weeds were not easily detected, I walked along paths between paddy fields and captured the frogs which jumped out of the weeds and immediately recorded the body temperature (BT, cloacal temperature) and air temperature (AT, 1cm above substrate at the probable site from which the frog jumped) using a quick recording thermistor thermometer (Takara Instrument Co.