Abstract


The Ecological Study of Endangered Species II (Narrow-mouth Toad, Kaloula borealis) Population at Myeongji District in Busan City


Hong, Sung-Gu

Department of Biology
The Graduate School of
Seoul Women’s University


A purpose of this study is to preserve population of narrow-mouth toads and prepare environment which is suitable for narrow mouthed toads when creating a place in which narrow mouthed toads live by analyzing habitats of narrow mouthed toads. For this study, 846 narrow mouthed toads that inhabit in Myeongji-dong, Gangseo-gu, Busan were caught from August 2, 2013 to November 7, 2013 and narrow mouthed toad habitats protective area in which caught narrow mouthed toads will inhabit was created to preserve population of narrow mouthed toads.
240 traps were installed in main habitats of narrow mouthed toads and a total of 846 narrow mouthed toads were caught over 68 times.
Main habitats of narrow mouthed toads are flat grassland where grass and false acacia grow and there is wetland all over the place. When analyzing habitats that main habitats of narrow mouthed toads prefer after selecting representative seven vegetation, it was found that the most narrow mouthed toads were caught in amur silver grass colony while the least narrow mouthed toads were caught in bare land. It seems that the reason for which the least narrow mouthed toads were caught in bare land is that bare land is not suitable for narrow mouthed toads to protect themselves from strong sunlight and to hide themselves from natural enemy.
When measuring gender, full length and weight of caught 127 narrow mouthed toads, it was found that number of female narrow mouthed toads were 76 and number of male narrow mouthed toads were 51 and average length of female narrow mouthed toads was 45.2±0.32mm and average length of male narrow mouthed toads was 41.8±0.26mm and weight of female narrow mouthed toads was 13.2±0.17g and weight of male narrow mouthed toads was 11.1±0.13g. When measuring length of 52 narrow mouthed toads caught in Jeju Island, it was found that length of female narrow mouthed toads was 47.6±2.9mm and length of male narrow mouthed toads was 44.3±4.7mm. When measuring length of 30 narrow mouthed toads caught in Cheongwon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, it was found that length of female narrow mouthed toads was 40.7±6.74mm and length of male narrow mouthed toads was 38.3±5.23mm. Such findings suggest that narrow mouthed toads inhabiting in an area with high average temperature have more time of having prey and higher digestibility after having prey are greater in average size. This study found that temperature has the greatest influence on activities of narrow mouthed toads and at temperature of less than 15.6℃, activities of narrow mouthed toads are remarkably low and if temperature is below 15.6℃, narrow mouthed toads go into hibernation.
Findings of this study are expected to be used as basic materials for finding habitats that narrow mouthed toads prefer by analyzing habitats and improve survival of population of narrow mouthed toads inhabiting at Myeongji District in Busan city.