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Success of intracoelomic radiotransmitter implantation in the treefrog (Hyla versicolor)

Lab Animal volume 35, pages 29–33 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Concern about the effects of habitat modification on the natural movements and behavior of amphibians has led researchers to devise several methods to follow individual animals as they migrate among seasonal resources; one such method is the surgical insertion of radiotransmitters. Intracoelomic implantation has come into general use despite the relative lack of specific procedural guidelines and information about the effects of transmitter insertion and removal. The author outlines the surgical implantation procedures used on a small amphibian (gray treefrog) and provides insight into the effects of multiple major surgical invasions on the long-term survival of amphibians. Multiple survival surgeries were successful in this study and may be an alternative to euthanasia in some instances.

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Acknowledgements

Funding for this research was provided by a TWA Fellowship. The author thanks R. Semlitsch for supplies provided by NSF grant DEB-023 9943; J. Millspaugh for access to field sites; R. Mahan, J. Haynes, D. Johnson, and G. Johnson for assistance in capturing individuals; and R. Semlitsch, M. Dyson, and T. Rittenhouse for helpful comments on an early draft of the manuscript and discussions about surgical methods.

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  1. Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 212 Tucker Hall, Columbia, 65211, MO

    Jarrett R. Johnson PhD

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  1. Jarrett R. Johnson PhD
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Johnson, J. Success of intracoelomic radiotransmitter implantation in the treefrog (Hyla versicolor). Lab Anim 35, 29–33 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban0206-29

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