GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT AND SURVIVABILITY OF THE CAUCASIAN TRITON LARVAE, LISSOTRITON LANTZI
WITH DIFFERENT PLANT DENSITY IN THE ZOOKULTUR 

Nemyko Elena Aleksandrovna, Engineer, sub-department of zoology, Russian State Agrarian University – MTAA (49 Timiryazevskaya street, Moscow, Russia), E-mail: nemyko_e@mail.ru
Kidov Artem Aleksandrovich, Candidate of biological sciences, associate professor, sub-department of zoology, Russian State Agrarian University – MTAA (49 Timiryazevskaya street, Moscow, Russia), E-mail: kidov_a@mail.ru
Vyatkin Yaroslav Aleksandrovich, Student, Russian State Agrarian University – MTAA (49 Timiryazevskaya street, Moscow, Russia), E-mail: kidov_a@mail.ru

591.16:567.9 

DOI

10.21685/2307-9150-2019-1-12 

Background. The Lantz’s newt, or Caucasian smooth newt, Lissotriton lantzi (Wolterstorff, 1914) – endemic of forest belt in the Caucasus, included in the Red Data Books of Russia and Azerbaijan. One of the actual methods of conservation of this species is laboratory reproduction and introduction into new ponds within the native area. The study of optimal conditions of growing of the Caucasian smooth newt is relevant work. The research aim is to describe the characteristics the growth, survival and cost of feeding at the cultivation of larvae of the Lantz’s newt in zooculture.
Materials and methods. Larvae of newt after the start of exogenous feeding were transplanted into plastic containers with a volume of 3 liters. The animals were grown in groups at a density of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 larvae per liter of water. Newts in first 20–26 days were feeding live nauplius of Artemia salina. At 21–27 days in the diet started to add the larvae of chironomids (bloodworms). A mixed diet of bloodworms and Artemia was carried out with 21–27 by 26–35 day. On 27–36 day began to offer for newts the only bloodworms. The following indicators were taken into account: minimum, average and maximum duration of larval development, size and weight of newts after leaving the water, survival in the period of growing, feed costs for 1 g of weight gain and for growing of one newt to metamorphosis.
Results. The newts grown at a minimum density (1 specimen per liter of water) were characterized by higher minimum development duration. Also animals from this group had the big sizes at the first newts leaving water. Larvae grown at different densities (2, 3, 4 and 5 specimens per liter of water) did not differ statistically in all analyzed parameters.
Conclusions. Probably, the obtained results are explained by high individual variability of growth and development in newt larvae. In each group were marked specimens with smaller sizes leaving the water before the other larvae. Also in groups there are always larvae with longer larval development and larger sizes at metamorphosis. The authors believe that this phenomenon has a genetic determination and doesn’t depend on the density of larvae. 

Key words

the Lantz’s newt, the Caucasian smooth newt, Lissotriton lantzi, growth, development, survival, density, zooculture 

 Download PDF

1. Rous S., Rous F. Mekhanizmy biologicheskoy konkurentsii [Mechanisms of biological competition]. 1964, pp. 263–276. [In Russian]
2. Pyastolova O. A., Ivanova N. L. Ekologiya [Ecology]. 1974, no. 2, pp. 50–55. [In Russian]
3. Ishchenko V. G. Osobennosti rosta zhivotnykh i sreda obitaniya [Features of animal growth and habitat]. Sverdlovsk, 1984, pp. 26–36. [In Russian]
4. Pyastolova O. A., Tarkhnishvili D. N. Energetika rosta i razvitiya zhivotnykh [Energy of growth and development of animals]. Sverdlovsk, 1985, pp. 48–55. [In Russian]
5. Pyastolova O. A., Tarkhnishvili D. N. Trudy Instituta zoologii AN SSSR [Proceedings of the Institute of Zoology, USSR Academy of Sciences]. 1986, no. 158, pp. 150–154. [In Russian]
6. Pyastolova O. A., Tarkhnishvili D. N. Ekologiya ontogeneza khvostatykh amfibiy i problema sosushchestvovaniya blizkikh vidov [Ecology of ontogenesis of caudate amphibians and the problem of the coexistence of related species]. Sverdlovsk: UrO AN SSSR, 1989, 156 p. [In Russian]
7. Lyapkov S. M., Severtsov A. S. Zoologicheskiy zhurnal [Zoological journal]. 1994, vol. 73, no. 1, p. 97. [In Russian]
8. Serbinova I. A., Tuniev B. S., Uteshev V. K., Shubravyy O. I., Goncharov B. F. Zookul'tura amfibiy [Amphibian zooculture]. 1990, pp. 75–81. [In Russian]
9. Kidov A. A., Matushkina K. A., Afrin K. A., Blinova S. A., Timoshina A. L., Kovrina E. G. Sovremennaya gerpetologiya [Modern herpetology]. 2014, vol. 14, no. 1/2, pp. 19–26. [In Russian]
10. Kidov A. A., Matushkina K. A., Shimanskaya E. A., Tsar'kova T. N., Nemyko E. A. Vestnik Chuvashskogo gosudarstvennogo pedagogicheskogo universiteta imeni I. Ya. Yakovleva [Bulletin of Chuvash State Pedagogical University named after I. Ya. Yakovlev]. 2017, no. 3 (95), pp. 10–17. [In Russian]
11. Kidov A. A., Matushkina K. A., Afrin K. A. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo universiteta. Ser. 3, Biologiya [Bulletin of Saint-Petersburg University. Series 3, Biology]. 2016, no. 3, pp. 54–57. [In Russian]
12. Kidov A. A., Matushkina K. A., Uteshev V. K., Timoshina A. L., Kovrina E. G. Russian Journal of Herpetology. Vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 40–46.
13. Serbinova I. A. Nauchnye issledovaniya v zoologicheskikh parkakh [Scientific research in zoological parks]. 2007, iss. 22, pp. 113–117. [In Russian]
14. Uteshev V. K., Kaurova S. A., Shishova N. V., Manokhin A. A., Mel'nikova E. G., Gakhova E. N. Pratsі Ukraїns'kogo gerpetologіchnogo tovaristva [Works of the Ukrainian herpetologichnochnogo society]. 2013, no. 4, pp. 175–183.
15. Uteshev V. K., Kidov A. A., Kaurova S. A., Shishova N. V. Vestnik Tambovskogo universiteta. Ser.: Estestvennye i tekhnicheskie nauki [Bulletin of Tambov University. Series: Natural and engineering sciences]. 2013, vol. 18, no. 6-1, pp. 3090–3092. [In Russian]
16. Ananjeva N. B., Orlov N. L., Uteshev V. K., Gakhova E. N. Biology Bulletin. 2015, vol. 42, no. 5, pp. 432–439.
17. Ananjeva N. B., Uteshev V. K., Orlov N. L., Ryabov S. A., Gakhova E. N., Kaurova S. A., Kramarova L. I., Shishova N. V., Browne R. K. Russian Journal of Herpetology. 2017, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 275–290.
18. Serbinova I. A., Tuniev B. S. I Vsesoyuznoe soveshchanie po problemam zookul'tury [I All-Union Conference on the problems of zooculture]. Moscow, 1986, pp. 147–150. [In Russian]
19. Serbinova I. A., Shubravyy O. I., Uteshev V. K., Agasyan A. L., Goncharov B. F. Zookul'tura amfibiy [Amphibian zooculture]. Moscow, 1990, pp. 82–89. [In Russian]
20. Kidov A. A., Matushkina K. A., Afrin K. A. Vestnik Buryatskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta [Bulletin of Banzarov Buryat State University]. 2015, no. 4-1, pp. 81–89. [In Russian]
21. Kidov A. A., Nemyko E. A., Shimanskaya E. A. Vestnik Tverskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Ser.: Biologiya i ekologiya [Bulletin of Tver State University. Series: Biology and ecology]. 2018, no. 4, pp. 38–49. [In Russian]
22. Skorinov D. V., Doronin I. V., Kidov A. A., Tuniyev B. S., Litvinchuk S. N. Russian Journal of Herpetology. 2014, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 251–268.
23. Kuz'min S. L. Zemnovodnye byvshego SSSR [Amphibians of the former USSR]. Moscow: Tovarishchestvo nauchnykh izdaniy KMK, 2012, 370 p. [In Russian]
24. Kuz'min S. L. Krasnaya kniga Rossiyskoy Federatsii [The Red Book of the Russian Federation]. Moscow: AST: Astrel', 2001, pp. 314, 315. [In Russian]
25. Litvinchuk S. N., Rudyk A. M., Borkin L. J. Russian Journal of Herpetology. 1996, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 39–48.
26. Raffaëlli J. Les Urodèles du Monde [The tailed amphibians of the world]. Plumelec: Penclen, 2013, 480 p.
27. Kidov A. A., Nemyko E. A. Sovremennaya gerpetologiya [Modern herpetology]. 2018, vol. 18, no. 3/4, pp. 125–134. DOI https://doi.org/10.18500/1814-6090-2018-18-3-4-125-134. [In Russian]