SURGICAL TECHNIQUE FOR THE PLACEMENT OF INTRACOELOMIC RADIO TRANSMITTERS AND EXTERNAL SILICONE PASSIVE SAMPLING DEVICES FOR NORTHERN LEOPARD FROGS (Lithobates pipiens )

Abstract/Summary

Amphibians are excellent sentinels for contaminant exposure in prairie wetlands. Development of passive sampling devices (PSD) has greatly improved in recent years, and they present an innovative sampling technology that can potentially yield individual-specific, quantifiable data on chemical exposure. In this study, PSDs were attached to the ventral skin of 20 northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens) with polypropylene sutures after radio transmitters had been surgically inserted into the coleomic cavity. After a recovery period frogs were released into the wild and located daily using radio telemetry to assess how long PSDs would remain attached in the frogs’ natural habitat. After one week, PSDs remained on 18 of the original 20 frogs. At 2 weeks 16 frogs were recovered and no PSDs remained attached. Although valuable data can be obtained over a short time period, more research will be necessary to demonstrate effectiveness of externally attaching silicone PSDs to northern leopard frogs for time periods longer than 1-2 weeks.