Amphibians: Separate sexes in non-breeding periods

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

65%
Certainty

30%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Many species of amphibian lead largely solitary lives during non-breeding periods in the wild but may be permanently housed in mixed-sex groups in captivity. In some species, burrows or nests are constructed before the breeding season. Separating the sexes outside of the breeding season allows the males or females time to construct these burrows. The timing of introducing the females to the males alongside could promote breeding.

Key messages

One replicated, before-and-after study in Australia found that clutch size of frogs increased when sexes were separated in the non-breeding periods, alongside providing female mate choice, playing recorded mating calls and allowing females to increase in weight before breeding.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A replicated, before-and-after study in 2006-2012 in Victoria and New South Wales, Australia reported that providing a pre-breeding cooling period, along with allowing females to gain significant weight before the breeding period, separating sexes during the non-breeding period, providing mate choice for females and playing recorded mating calls, increased clutch size and decreased egg mortality in captive southern corroboree frogs Pseudophryne corroboree, although no statistical tests were carried out. From 2006-2010 Melbourne Zoo did not separate sexes in the non-breeding period (average clutch size: 18; egg mortality: 89%). In 2011-2012, sexes were separated in the non-breeding period (average clutch size: 43; egg mortality: 89%). At Taronga Zoo sexes were always kept separate in the non-breeding periods in 2010 (average clutch size: 80; egg mortality: 72%), 2011(average clutch size: 70; egg mortality: 26%) and 2012(average clutch size: 54; egg mortality: 28%).
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
McFadden M., Hobbs R., Marantelli G., Harlow P., Banks C. & Hunter D. (2013) Captive management and breeding of the critically endangered southern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne corroboree) (Moore 1953) at Taronga and Melbourne Zoos. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation, 5, 70-87.

Please cite as:

Jonas, C.S., Timbrell, L.L., Young, F., Petrovan, S.O., Bowkett, A.E. & Smith, R.K. (2020) Management of Captive Animals. Pages 527-553 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Management of Captive Animals

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Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Amphibians: Manipulate adult density within the enclosure Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link
Amphibians: Manipulate sex ratio within the enclosure Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link
Amphibians: Separate sexes in non-breeding periods Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link