Effects of Wild, Semi-Captive, and Captive Management on Male Chiricahua Leopard Frog Sperm Quality With Implications for Conservation Breeding Programs
ORCID
CKouba: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8466-6077
MSU Affiliation
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology; College of Forest Resources; Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture
Creation Date
2026-10-30
Abstract
The Chiricahua leopard frog (Lithobates chiricahuensis) is a threatened species endemic to the southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. Captive breeding programs were established to support reintroduction efforts, yet reproductive output has been lower than needed for recovery of the species. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of captivity on amphibian reproduction by (1) determining if captive, semi-captive, and wild male L. chiricahuensis produce sperm at similar rates and concentration in response to hormone treatment; and (2) evaluating the quality of sperm obtained over time from these populations. Males from captive, semi-captive, and wild locations were administered a combination of human chorionic gonadotropin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone to stimulate sperm production and release. A high percentage of males in the captive (60%), semi-captive (100%), and wild (95.3%) populations produced sperm following treatment. Sperm quality (forward progressive motility and total sperm motility) did not differ between groups. However, sperm quantity (sperm/ml) differed (p < .05) between populations, with semi-captive and wild males producing higher concentrations of sperm than captive males. These results suggest that Chiricahua leopard frog sperm quantity, but not quality, may become negatively impacted by long-term captivity in indoor, controlled settings.
Keywords
amphibian, assisted reproduction, captive-breeding, conservation, exogenous hormones, fertility, frog, spermiation
Publication Date
12-11-2022
Publication Title
Conservation Science and Practice
Publisher
Wiley
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Rights
© 2022 The Author
Recommended Citation
Julien, A. R., Counsell, K. R., Burger, I. J., Kouba, A. J., Barber, D., Cobos, C., Jennings, R. D., Christman, B. L., & Kouba, C. K. (2023). Effects of wild, semi-captive, and captive management on male Chiricahua leopard frog sperm quality with implications for conservation breeding programs. Conservation Science and Practice, 5(1), e12864. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.12864
