Pattern of growth and utilization of abdominal fat bodies during larval development and metamorphosis in five South Indian anurans

Abstract

The tadpoles of Rana tigrina, Rana cyanophlyctis, Rana curtipes, Polypedatus maculatus and Bufo melanostictus grew in size (mass and snout vent length of.SVL) progressively until metamorphic climax. The abdominal fat bodies first appeared in stages 25-30; and accumulation/utilization of fat during larval development and metamorphosis varied with the species. In B. melanostictus; fat bodies were barely seen. In laboratory-reared R. curtipes, body weight and fat body mass were better developed than in the wild caught. The amount of fat deposition was related to the duration of metamorphosis in the various species studied. The findings thus show that the size of fat bodies in the larval anurans is correlated with the body mass, SVL as well as duration of metamorphosis.