Hormone treatment does not reliably induce spermiation or mating in Hamilton’s frog from the archaic leiopelmatid lineage.

Amidst a global amphibian decline, captive breeding has become an important component of many conservation management programs. Some species fail to readily reproduce in captivity, including leiopelmatid frogs, an archaic lineage endemic to New Zealand. Assisted reproductive technologies can improve the reproductive potential and genetic management of captive programs.

Urinary hormone metabolites identify sex and imply unexpected winter breeding in an endangered, subterranean-nesting frog.

Urinary hormone analysis has proved accurate for identifying sex and breeding periods in dimorphic amphibians with known reproductive cycles. We examined whether these techniques could provide this much needed information for a monomorphic anuran with an unconfirmed mating season in the wild. We analysed urinary estrone conjugate, testosterone, and progesterone metabolites to infer the time of breeding and to identify sex in the endangered Maud Island frog, Leiopelma pakeka.

Individual variation and repeatability in urinary corticosterone metabolite responses to capture in the cane toad (Rhinella marina).

Urinary corticosterone metabolite enzyme-immunoassay (EIA) can be used for the non-invasive assessment of baseline levels and corticosterone responses in amphibians. In this study, urinary corticosterone responses of wild male cane toads (Rhinella marina) to confinement and repeated handling were measured to quantify individual variation in corticosterone responses for the first time in an amphibian species. Urine samples were collected at 0 h in the wild, hourly from 2 to 8 h after transfer into captivity, and again at 12 and 24 h in captivity.

Urinary corticosterone responses to capture and toe-clipping in the cane toad (Rhinella marina) indicate that toe-clipping is a stressor for amphibians.

Toe-clipping, the removal of one or more toes, is a common method used to individually mark free-living animals. Whilst this method is widely used in studies of amphibians, the appropriateness of the method, and its potential detrimental effects have been the subject of debate. Here, we provide for the first time, evidence that toe-clipping is a stressor in a wild amphibian.

Humoral immune responses in brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) induced by bacterial ghosts expressing possum zona pellucida 3 protein.

The introduced common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is a major pest in New Zealand and immunocontraceptive vaccines are being developed for biocontrol of possum populations, with bacterial ghosts (BGs) being evaluated as a means of oral delivery. Recombinant BGs expressing possum zona pellucida 3 protein (ZP3) as an L' membrane-anchored protein (ZP3-L') or as an S-layer SbsA-fusion protein (MBP-SbsA-ZP3) were produced by the expression of the cloned bacteriophage phiX174 lysis gene E in E. coli NM522.