Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
URL https://www.biotaxa.org/hn/article/view/62048
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) A GIS approach to the study of colour anomalies in amphibians of Ukraine reveals the deleterious effect of human impacts
Author Marushchak, O.Y.; Nekrasova, O.D.; Tytar, V.M.; Smirnov, N.A.; Korshunov, O.V.; Pupins, M.; Mykytynets, G.I.; Skute, A.; Henle, K.; Kaiser, H.
Source Titel Herpetology Notes
Year 2021
Department NSF
Volume 14
Page From 1239
Page To 1251
Language englisch
Topic T5 Future Landscapes
Keywords Abnormal colouration; blue frogs; blue axanthism; leucism; albinism; Ranidae; Salamandridae; Bombinatoridae; Bufonidae; Human Footprint; pollution; bioindication
Abstract Our study provides a review of colour anomalies in amphibians from Ukraine during the 20th and early 21st centuries. Observations including melanism, flavinism, leucism, and blue axanthism were assembled from the published literature (1909–2018) and during field surveys (2000–2017). Blue coloration was the most common abnormal variant (81.5%; n = 106), and colour anomalies were recorded in 13 of Ukraine’s 24 administrative regions (oblasts), mainly along the Dnieper River and in the Carpathian Mountains. The largest number of anomalies was found in the Poltava (26.5%) and Kyiv (20.4%) Oblasts. We also explored the relationship between abnormal colouration and environmental variables using a GIS framework. Correlations existed mainly with geographic location and temperature-related parameters (e.g., reference evapotranspiration), as could be expected for interactions of morphological or physiological anomalies. However, the Human Footprint, an integrated index of anthropogenic impact, was also important. The connection of colour anomalies and human activities shows once again the importance of amphibians as bioindicators for the early detection of pollution and other harmful effects in aquatic ecosystems.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=25313
Marushchak, O.Y., Nekrasova, O.D., Tytar, V.M., Smirnov, N.A., Korshunov, O.V., Pupins, M., Mykytynets, G.I., Skute, A., Henle, K., Kaiser, H. (2021):
A GIS approach to the study of colour anomalies in amphibians of Ukraine reveals the deleterious effect of human impacts
Herpetology Notes 14 , 1239 - 1251