L. Forró - É. Murai szerk.: Miscellanea Zoologica Hungarica 6. 1991 (Budapest, 1991)

Gubányi, A.; Pekli, J.: Contribution to the knowledge of green frog populations (Rana esculenta complex, Anura, Amphibia) of the Kis-Balaton Landscape Protection Area, Hungary

MISCELLANEA ZOOLOGICA HUNGARICA Tbmus 6. 1991. p. 13-22 Contribution to the knowledge of green frog populations (Rana esculenta complex, Anura, Amphibia) of the Kis-Balaton Landscape Protection Area, Hungary by A. GUBÁNYI and J. PEKLI (Received January 20, 1991) Abstract: Biometrical and serological properties of 172 green frogs from three sampling sites were examined, in order to determine the population structure of water frogs. According to electrophoretic phenotypes of LDH-B (lactate-dehydrogenase) intermediate migrating lessonae allele (Li) and slow migrating ridibundo allele (L.) were the most common. Fast (Rf) and slow (R,) migrating ridibunda alleles were not found in homozygous form and only one sample manifested them in heterozygous form. LT/CIL and DP/CIL were the most adequate morphometric ratios for morphological discrimination. Morphological and biochemical data suggest, that there was a L-E population system in the KisBalaton Landscape Protection Area during the years 1989-1990. These results are in contrast with lessonae-esculenta-ridibunda mixed population investigated earlier. Key words: Rana esculenta complex, population structure, morphological and biochemical discrimination, Kis-Balaton Landscape Protection Area INTRODUCTION Central-European green frogs are usually divided into three forms, which originally had been described as Rana esculenta Linnaeus, 1758, Rana ridibunda Pallas, 1771 and Rana esculenta var. lessonae Camerano, 1882. There was a controversy among herpetologists with regard to the taxonomic status of these forms (see GUNTHER 1987, GUBÁNYI 1990 for reviews). Experimental hybridizations (BERGER 1967,1968,1970, GÜNTHER 1973, 1978, BINKERT et al. 1982), biochemical and karyological investigations (TUNNER 1970, 1972, GÜNTHER 1975, UZZEL & BERGER 1975) indicate that there are two biologically good species, the marsh frog (Rana ridibunda Pall.) and the pool frog (Rana lessonae Cam.). The edible frog (Rana esculenta L.) represents their hybridogenetic hybrid coexisting with one of the parental species or forming pure populations in which triploid specimens are frequent. On the other hand the three forms of water frogs are more seldom found together (BORKIN 1986, GUBÁNYI 1988, LOW et al. 1989, GÜNTHER 1983). Considering these features DUBOIS & GÜNTHER (1982) proposed a new evolutionary systematic category, klepton (Rana klepton esculenta), belonging to a third taxonomic category distinct from both the categories "species" and "subspecies". In consequence of its hybrid origin (BERGER 1973, DUBOIS & GÜNTHER 1982, UZZEL er al. 1977) Rana esculenta is genetically heterogeneous and has intermediate morphological character between the two parental species. For