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Overwintering Physiology and Hibernacula Microclimates of Blanchard’S Cricket Frogs at Their Northwestern Range Boundary

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Overwintering Physiology and Hibernacula Microclimates of Blanchard’S Cricket Frogs at Their Northwestern Range Boundary Copeia 2010, No. 2, 247–253 Overwintering Physiology and Hibernacula Microclimates of Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs at Their Northwestern Range Boundary David L. Swanson1 and Seth L. Burdick1 Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs (Acris crepitans blanchardi) in the central portion of their range show minimal capacities for freezing tolerance and survive overwinter by using terrestrial hibernacula where they avoid freezing. However, frogs may exhibit greater freeze-tolerance capacity at high latitude range limits, where winter climate is more severe. We studied freezing tolerance, glucose mobilization during freezing, and hibernacula microclimates of cricket frogs in southeastern South Dakota, at the northwestern limit of their range. Cricket frogs from South Dakota generally survived freezing exposure at 21.5 to 22.5uC for 6-h periods (80% survival), but uniformly died when exposed to these same temperatures for 24-h freezing bouts. Hepatic glucose levels and phosphorylase a activities increased significantly during freezing, but hepatic glucose levels during freezing remained low, only reaching levels approximating those prior to freezing in freeze-tolerant species. Moreover, muscle glucose and hepatic glycogen levels did not vary with freezing, suggesting little mobilization of glucose from hepatic glycogen stores during freezing, contrasting with patterns in freeze-tolerant frogs. Temperatures in soil cracks and burrows potentially used for hibernacula were variable, with some sites remaining above the freezing point of the body fluids throughout the winter, some sites dropping below the freezing point for only short periods, and some sites dropping below the freezing point for extended periods. These data suggest that cricket frogs in South Dakota, as in other portions of their range, survive overwinter by locating hibernacula that prevent freezing, although their toleration of short freezing bouts may expand the range of suitable hibernacula. These data also suggest that overwinter mortality may be high at the northern range boundary and might limit cricket frogs from expanding their range northward. NURANS inhabiting seasonally cold climates survive Michigan (Conant and Collins, 1998; Kiesow, 2006). the winter by either freeze tolerance or freeze Blanchard’s Cricket Frog is considered a subspecies of the A avoidance strategies. Most anurans are intolerant Northern Cricket Frog, A. crepitans, but Gamble et al. (2008) of freezing, and typical freeze avoidance strategies include suggest full species status is warranted based on molecular overwintering in aquatic situations or burrowing in the soil genetic data. Blanchard’s Cricket Frog has recently under- to depths below the frostline (Pinder et al., 1992). A few gone widespread population declines in the northernmost species of frogs that overwinter in shallow terrestrial portion of its range, but causes of these declines are not hibernacula tolerate the freezing of up to 50–70% of their known (Lannoo, 1998; Gray and Brown, 2005; Gray et al., body water (Storey, 1997; Storey and Storey, 2004). Freeze- 2005; Lehtinen and Skinner, 2006). tolerant frogs accumulate low molecular weight carbohy- The few data on overwintering strategies of Blanchard’s drates (glucose or glycerol) as cryoprotectants during Cricket Frogs tested frogs from the central portion of their freezing that assist in limiting freezing to extracellular fluids range (Gray, 1971; Irwin et al., 1999). These studies found (Storey and Storey, 2004). Most species, including Chorus that frogs overwintered in terrestrial habitats near the Frogs Pseudacris triseriata and Spring Peepers P. crucifer, margins of ponds or streams, principally in cracks in the which are closely related to cricket frogs (Faivovich et al., mud or in crayfish burrows. Moreover, cricket frogs did not 2005; Wiens et al., 2005, 2006), accumulate glucose as a survive exposure to low oxygen levels in water necessary for cryoprotectant upon freezing (Storey and Storey, 1986; overwintering in hypoxic aquatic habitats, as aquatic-winter- Churchill and Storey, 1996; Swanson et al., 1996). However, ing species do (e.g., Rana pipiens; Irwin et al., 1999). Cricket the gray treefrogs Hyla versicolor and H. chrysoscelis use frogs from the central portion of their range are evidently glycerol as a major cryoprotectant, with glycerol levels intolerant of freezing. Gray (1971) found that cricket frogs increasing during both cold acclimation and freezing, at from central Illinois exposed to 22uC in an aquarium with least in adults (Storey and Storey, 1985, 1986; Costanzo et simulated shoreline died if they remained on the surface, but al., 1992; Layne and Jones, 2001; Irwin and Lee, 2003; survived if they were given access to cracks of .12 cm depth. Zimmerman et al., 2007). Recent evidence from Wood Frogs In addition, Irwin et al. (1999) experimentally exposed (Rana sylvatica) suggests that urea also plays a cryoprotectant cricket frogs from southern Ohio to 22.3uC for 24 hours role in this species (Costanzo and Lee, 2005, 2008; Costanzo and found that only two of 15 individuals survived this et al., 2008). freezing exposure. This is a much lower survival rate than for Blanchard’s Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans blanchardi)isa freezing tolerant anurans, such as Wood Frogs. Interestingly, small hylid frog inhabiting stream and pond margins in the however, Irwin et al. (1999) found that tissue levels of the central United States (Conant and Collins, 1998; Gamble et cryoprotectant glucose did increase markedly with freezing in al., 2008). Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs in central portions of cricket frogs, although not to levels present in freeze-tolerant their range employ an unusual overwintering strategy, species (Storey and Storey, 1984, 1986; Churchill and Storey, hibernating in moist terrestrial situations that protect frogs 1996; Swanson et al., 1996), and these elevated glucose levels from freezing (Irwin et al., 1999). The northern limit of the did not confer freezing tolerance. cricket frog range occurs from southeastern South Dakota The thermal buffering properties of the moist terrestrial across southern Minnesota and Wisconsin to southern hibernacula allow cricket frogs in the central portion of their 1 Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069; E-mail: (DLS) [email protected]. Send reprint requests to DLS. Submitted: 2 July 2009. Accepted: 21 December 2009. Associate Editor: E. Schultz. F 2010 by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists DOI: 10.1643/CP-09-121 248 Copeia 2010, No. 2 range to avoid freezing. For example, Irwin et al. (1999), in a cricket frogs congregating at several sites along the James study in southwestern Ohio, found that soil temperature and Big Sioux rivers in southeastern South Dakota. We did 2 cm below the surface in a burrow similar to those used by not observe frogs in large numbers at these sites during cricket frogs for hibernacula did not drop below the freezing summer surveys, or during spring (March and early April) point of the body fluids, despite air temperatures as low as when data loggers were retrieved, which suggests that frogs 219.9uC. However, the colder winter climates at high were congregating at these sites for hibernation. During latitude range limits may compromise overwinter survival these late fall surveys, we observed frogs near, or emerging in amphibians. Southeastern South Dakota lies at the from, numerous deep cracks in mud (up to 20–25 cm in northwestern range limit of Blanchard’s Cricket Frog and depth) and burrows in the riverbanks, suggesting that these experiences colder winter climates than more central cracks and burrows served as hibernacula. We deployed a portions of the species range. For example, average January number of data loggers (iButton Model 1921Z, Maxim, temperatures from 1900–2008 for southeastern South Da- Sunnyvale, CA; 14 mm diameter, 5 mm thick), wrapped in kota and southwestern Ohio are 28.4uCand21.2uC, self-adhesive cellophane to inhibit moisture damage, at four respectively (NOAA Climate Division database; http:// sites along the James River (43u109370N, 97u369560W; climate.sdstate.edu/ClimateDivisions/Seasonal.cfm). Be- 43u089400N, 97u349390W; 43u089570N, 97u359180W; cause typical cricket frog hibernation sites in southwestern 43u089390N, 97u329180W) and two sites along the Big Sioux Ohio approached the freezing point of the body fluids (Irwin River (42u489540N, 96u359470W; 42u489370N, 96u359440W). et al., 1999), the colder climate of South Dakota might When we observed frogs emerging from a crack or burrow in require hibernating at deeper sites to avoid freezing, or the the shoreline, we measured depth and then placed data development of freezing tolerance mechanisms. Jenkins and loggers (12 in 2005, 16 in 2006, and 13 in 2007) into the Swanson (2005) found that Chorus Frogs (a freeze-tolerant mud at the bottom of the crack or burrow. During species) in South Dakota show annual variability in their excavation of our 2005–2006 data loggers along the James freezing tolerance capacity, and that this variability was River in early April 2006 (see below), we observed a cricket associated with glucose mobilization upon freezing, as most frog emerging from the soil approximately 15 cm from frogs from populations mobilizing low levels of glucose died where a data logger had been placed. This suggests that data during freezing exposure. Other freezing tolerant anurans loggers were placed in appropriate locations to record show geographic
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