Age determination and effects of some ecological factors on growth of Bufotes Variabilis populations from Turkey

Some growth parameters such as age structure, minimum and maximum life span, age at maturity, relationship between body size and mass of the eight different populations (Kestanelik, İshakçelebi, Seydiköy, Yeniköy, Yeşilbağlar, Ulubağ, Söğütlü, Liman) of Bufotes variabilis (Variable toad) were revelead using skeletochronology method and their relationship with ecologic factors were determined by using Partial Mantel test. According to results of the statistical analysis, a significant difference was found among the populations in terms of age, body size and body mass for both females and males (One way ANOVA, age: female, F= 17,07, p < 0,001; male, F = 22,42, p < 0,001; body size: female, F = 21,20, p < 0,001; male, F = 31,72, p < 0,05; mass: female, F =14,47, p < 0,001; male, F = 29,56, p < 0,001). Minimum age was determined as 2 years for both sexes. Maximum life span was 11 years for females and 10 years for males and it was recorded for the Seydiköy populations. In the studied populations, age at maturity was ranged between 2-4 years for both males and females. Sexual dimorphism was not observed between males and females in terms of body size for all populations. In the six (Kestanelik, İshakçelebi, Seydiköy, Yeniköy, Ulubağ, Liman) of the eight studied populations, females were larger than males, and in the other populations (Yeşilbağlar and Söğütlü) males were larger than males. A significant positive correlation was found between age-body size, age-mass and body size-mass for all populations (except, age-mass relation in Liman population). Statistically, it was concluded that altitude and temperature has impact on growth rate and body size but not on age.