An evaluation of some marking and trapping techniques currently used in the study of anuran population dynamics

Many techniques are used in the study of amphibian breeding populations despite lack of knowledge of their inherent biases. I examined trapping and marking techniques for Rana temporaria and Bufo bufo. Panjet dye marking and PIT (passive integrated transponder) tags had negligible effects on survival and body condition, while persisting up to two years. Pitfall trapping was a reliable technique with <1% of individuals escaping from experimental traps; however inaccuracies were found when pitfall traps were used in association with partial barriers. The proportions of species and sexes trapped varied between partial barriers within a site.