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Current Herpetology
Abstract
Abstract:
Expansion of the habitat occupied by the hybrid giant salamander (Japanese×Chinese giant salamander, Andrias spp.) in the Kamo River of Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, has been a serious problem for the conservation of the Japanese giant salamander, A. japonicus. Thus, the movement and behavior of hybrid giant salamanders must be determined to quantify their ecological impact. Biotelemetry facilitates the long-term tracking of this species in rivers if transmitters are surgically implanted successfully. However, to use this approach successfully, it is important to understand the effects of surgical implantation and the healing process after surgery on animals. Nine hybrid salamanders were surgically implanted with dummy transmitters, while three individuals were incised without implanting any transmitters as the control treatment. Three months of observation after surgery showed that all individuals survived and retained transmitters. No hernia was observed in implanted individuals, and surgical incisions completely healed in one to two months. Body weight increased in all individuals, with no significant difference being observed in the weight gain and growth rate of implanted versus control individuals. The present study demonstrated the successful retention of implanted dummy transmitters in giant salamanders for three months without severe effects, suggesting the utility of biotelemetry for monitoring individuals in the wild.
We thank Ms. M. Yoshimura of Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University and Ms. A. Sato and Ms. H. Yamano of the Kyoto Aquarium for their cooperation in keeping the study animals. We thank everyone who participated in the survey of the salamanders around the Kamo River for securing the hybrid salamanders used in this study. We also thank Dr. S. Kimura of Field Science Research Center at Kyoto University for her cooperation with transport of study animals. The procedure in this study followed the guidelines of animal experiments in Kyoto University (approval no. 29-A-7). The present study was conducted under the permits issued by the Japan Agency of Cultural Affairs to K. Nishikawa in 2011–2017 for research in Kyoto City (No. 420) and 2015–2018 for research in Kyoto Prefecture (No. 710).
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