2020 Volume 22 Issue 2 Pages 165-173
The life cycle of the Tokyo Daruma pond frog (Pelophylax porosus porosus) has been comprehensively studied over time; however, there is still disagreement regarding its hibernation behavior. Here, we investigated the hibernation sites of the frog using passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagging, which is a radio-frequency identification tag technology. First, we examined the suitability of PIT tagging for this species by (1) determining the effect of the tags on frogs and (2) testing our ability to locate tagged frogs hibernating underground. We performed controlled laboratory experiments to compare survival rates between tagged and untagged frogs and found no effect on survival rate or body weight. Next, using an HPR Plus reader and BP Plus portable antenna, we determined that the maximum depth at which the PIT tags (BIO12B) could be detected underground was 20 cm. In addition, we used the PIT tag system to detect hibernating individuals in paddy fields and found that (1) the main hibernation site of the Tokyo Daruma pond frog is cultivated fields, and (2) the frogs hibernate at a depth of approximately 18 cm underground. This investigation was a case study, and further analysis is required to determine hibernation sites for this species.