Hybridization between the southwestern toad (Bufo microscaphus) and Woodhouse's toad (B. woodhousii) along the Agua Fria and Hassayampa rivers in central Arizona was investigated over a 3-yr period. Variation in allozymes and the pulse rate of male release calls was compared with morphological variation in these taxa and their hybrids. At two sites on the Agua Fria drainage, data on release calls, but not morphology, were concordant with allozyme evidence of hybridization. At a third site on the Agua Fria, morphological data, but not release calls, corroborated electrophoretic evidence of hybridization. Along the Hassayampa River, all lines of evidence indicated that there has not yet been any hybridization in an area of recent sympatry. Temporal changes at one site along the Agua Fria River are consistent with the hypothesis that hybrid zones between these toads are unstable and that B. woodhousii is replacing B. microscaphus.
Established in 1936, Herpetologica is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal serving herpetologists, biologists, ecologists, conservationists, researchers and the scientific community. The journal contains original research papers and essays about the biology of reptiles and amphibians, and covers many relevant topics including: behavior, conservation, ecology, genetics, morphology, physiology and taxonomy.
The Herpetologists' League (HL), established in 1946, is an international organization committed to furthering the knowledge of herpetology—the study of amphibians and reptiles. The Herpetologists’ League publishes two scholarly journals—the quarterly Herpetologica and the annual supplement, Herpetological Monographs. Mission: The Herpetologists’ League exists to promote scientific study and conservation of amphibians and reptiles. The primary goals of the League are to support the acquisition of knowledge about these organisms, and to transmit that knowledge through publications, conferences, and symposia. Activities sponsored by the League are designed to engage and encourage young scientists to join our mission. The products of the Herpetologists' League contribute to the global effort to understand and conserve the biological diversity on Earth.
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© 1988 Herpetologists' League