Conservazione in-situ ed ex-situ dell’ululone appenninico (Bombina pachypus) in due siti nella R.N.R. Monti Navegna e Cervia (Rieti - Lazio)

As part of a wider conservation project on the Apennine yellow-bellied toad in central Italy, an in- situ and ex-situ conservation program has been developed in the Regional Natural Reserve Monti Navegna and Cervia by the Reserve staff, the Fondazione Bioparco di Roma, and the Department of Science of University Roma Tre. In-situ actions consisted of the management of two breeding sites (A and B) where the restoration of ponds and the management of water supply were performed to lengthen the presence of water and avoid premature drying out. Te ex-situ actions (Bioparco) consisted of the development of fecundated eggs collected in the wild and the release of sub-adult in the source site. Tese actions are aimed at mitigating the observed extremely high larval mortality rate due to early drying of ponds and to the disturbance by wild pigs and cattle. Young toads were kept in captivity until the complete definition of the ventral coloration pattern. In September 2014 20 were released in site A; in April 2015 19 sub-adults were released, 7 at site A and 12 in site B, respectively. From September 2014 to October 2015, we recorded the presence, movements and growth of the released individuals. Te percentage of individuals recaptured after 30 days from the release was 85% for 2014 and 78.9% for 2015. In 2015, in spring we contacted 55% of the individuals released in 2014. Te recapture rate of sub-adult born on site was significantly lower (36.8%), and this corroborates the success of the restocking procedure. We observed a precocity (about a year after metamorphosis) in the appearance of secondary sexual characters in males that reflects an earlier achievement of sexual maturity in respect to what is reported in literature.