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V E R T E B R A T A H U N G A R S C A M USE I H I S T O R t C O
- N A T U R A L I S H U N G A R I C I
Tom. VIII. 1966. Fosc. 1-2.
The Herpetofauna off the Fehértó (Lake Fehér) near Kardoskúty
Hungary
By M. Marián Móra F. Museum, Szeged
Until recently, no systematic assay of the herpetofauna of our
alkali field had been made. Aside of the fact that the
zoogeographical knowledge of the country were incomplete without
the exploration of the herpetofauna of the alkali plains,the theme
in itself raises a number of most interest-ing biological and
ecological problems. Such too, which could be clearly and
definitely answered, only by a thorough and comparative analysis of
the faunas of the different types of natron waters. Since 1962, a
research team, specially sponsored by the Hungarian Academy of
Sciences, investigates regularly the life forms of the alkali
waters. The present paper is one of the results of this
project.
The lake called Fehértó is a temporary body of alkali water,
formed on solonchak soil, 3 km long, and 11-12 km south of
Orosháza. The water is strongly basic (pH 8.2). The highest water
level attains lm; the supply depends on ground water. Evaporation
is fairly big, an annual 700 mm at yearly average of 600 mm
precipitation. Annual mean temperature: 10.6°C; summer mean
temperature:22-23°C; winter mean temper-ature: -2 - -3°C (ANDÓ,
1966).
In the Fehértó, of a highly fluctuating water level and of
extreme weather conditions, as well as in its neighbour-
-
hood, environmental conditions and concurrently also the
possibilities of animal life are also liable to extreme changes
within a relatively short space of time. The alkali „lake" or marsh
turns, within the lapse of a single season, into a dusty, alkali,
semi-desert. This also effects the evolvement of the number of
amphibian and reptile species.
Let us first examine the species living in the several habitats.
In delimiting the main biotopes,I follow the plant associations as
defined by GY. BODROGKÖZI (1966).
In the open water, reptiles and amphibians occur only
transitionally.
In the alkali marsh (Bolboschoenetum chenopodium bot-ryoides),
the representatives of the two animal classes occur in the greatest
numbers, especially in the spring and the beginning of summer, when
the majority of the amphibians congregate for the laying of the
eggs.
Of the Urodela, the great water newt (Triturus c. cris-tatus
LAUR.) was found to occur until the middle of summer in the alkali
marsh. Subsequent to the evaporation of the water, the animal
retreats into the mud of the bottom of the lake or t>.e cracks
of the coast.
The far-sounding mating voice of the green toad (Bufo v. viridis
LAUR. ) can be heard already in the first days of April.
At the middle of May, its larvae swarm by the thousands in the
coastal zone. The 1'ew inches or less of water warms up easily, and
the algal crust covering the dense aquatic vegetation offers ample
food for the tadpoles. Their deve-lopment and transformation
proceed at the normal pace. At the beginning of July, the young,
lunged forms jump around by the hundreds on the already waterless
but still wet and muddy bottom of the marsh and the reedy patches.
By the middle of summer,they leave the desiccated area and withdraw
to the vicinity of the homesteads and the cultivated fields. This
culturefollowing species tides over,by the very help of
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man,the most difficult phase of the year,the summer drought.
Generally, the length of the captured specimens is 55-69 m™
only slightly below the measurements of green toad specimens
originating from other localities of the Great Plains.
The bombinator (Bombina bombinaL.) occurs in the great-
est number in the alkali marsh. A smaller amount inhabits
also the reeds. The species is less sensitive against the
pollution of the water, it can be found also in waterholes
defiled by dung. In contrast with the green toad, it is
strictly bound to water, be it but a retting-pit.
Interestingly, the mating and egg-laying of the bombi-
nator is rather protracted in the alkali area of Kardoskut.
Though mating commences already at the beginning of April,
single females heavy with eggs can yet be found at the end
of May. On 27 May, 1964, I found egg-filled females among
bombinator larvae of different phases of development.
The general length of the collected specimens lies bet-
ween 32-36 mm, rather behind the size of our home Bombina
bombina exemplars.
I also succeeded to find also the green-coloured va-
riety of the bombinator (Bombina bombina 1. var. viridis MA-
RIÁK). A specimen each was captured on the northern shores,
and in a well on the southern side, of the lake. Thus the
Fehértó near Kardoskut is the easternmost known locality of
the fine subspecies described from the reaches of the Tisza
(MARIÁN, 1959).
The most interesting frog species occurring in the soda
marsh in the spring is the spade-foot (Pelobates f. fuscus
LAÏÏR.). Its grunting voice, calling its mate, can be heard
from under the water already during April. After the laying
of the eggs, the frog leaves the water and assumes habits
similar to those of the green toad on the dry land.
The enormous tadpoles can be found in masses also
in the water of the hollows near the lake, and in nawy-
pits.
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Of the amphibians inhabiting the waters of the reeds
(Bolboschoenetum phragmitetosum), the most frequent is the
marsh-frog (Rana ridlbunda PAIL.). Though this species lives in
every aquatic habitat of the lake, it still prefers best the water
patches between the reedy stands and the coastal zone covered with
vegetation.
This is the biggest-sized frog species of the alkali plains. The
general size of the specimens collected in the Fehértó is 60-69
mm.
The tree-frog (Hyla a. arborea L. ) also inhabits the reeds and
the soda marshes. Owing to its protective color-ation, it is seldom
observable, hence the populations seem to be small than they
actually are.
The samll number of grass snakes (flatrix n. natrix L.) inhabit
the grassy areas adjacent to the shores (Puccinelli-etosum), and
the coastal zone itself. The frog and toad fau-r nas of the lake
could nourish a considerably higher number of snakes than the
observed one. However, the bare, tree- and bushless shores hardly
offer suitable retreats and shelters for the species,thus being
strongly decimated by its natural enemies. (After the evaporation
of the water of the lake, the situation becomes the reverse: the
snake can then find excellent hiding places in the reeds, but by
then the number of amphibians serving for its food have already
considerably decreased.)
The sand-lizard (Lacerta a. avilis L. ) lives on the grassy
shores and the soda fields. A small population occurs along the
southern shore of the lake.
A characterization of the herpetofauna
Six amphibian species (Triturus c. eristatus LATJR., Bom-bina
bomb ina L., Pelobates f. fuscus LAUR., Bufo v. viridis LAUR., Hyla
a. arborea L., Rana rldibunda PALL.) and one sub-species (Bomb ina
bomb ina L. var. viridis MARliK) have been
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found in and the nearer neighbourhood of the Fehértó at
Kar-doskut. Therefore only one-third of the 15 home amphibian
species inhabits this area. Of the six home amphibian families, it
is merely the Salamandridae which is not re-presented here.
Triturus v. vulgaris L., also belonging to this family, will
probably be found in the research area (I have found it on the
alkali flats near Pusztaszer).
Two reptile species (Lacerta a. agilis L., and Natrix n. natrix
L.) were successfully shown, only a fragment of the 15 home
reptilian species inhabiting Hungary. Two of the five home reptile
families are thereby represented. The oc-currence of
representatives of the families Anguidae and Sclncldae are not
probable, whereas Emys orbicularis L., belonging to the family
Emydidae, may yet be found to occur. ( I have demonstrated the
species from the alkali lake of Kunfehértó.)
According to MÉHELY, the frog species form, owing to identical
requirements as to habitats, coexistent species groups, following a
given „leading species" (KEHELY, 1 9 0 1 ) . The leading species of
the species group of the plains, as established by MÉHELYi, is Rana
arvalis, accompanied by Bom-bina bombina, Pelobates fuscus, Rana
ridibunda, and Bufo vi-ridis.
The assumption seems to be valid also for the frog spe-cies of
the soda plains at Kardoskut with the difference, however, that the
leading species, Rana arvalis, has not yet been found. Its
occurrence seems probable on the basis of the above consideration.
(I found the species in the alkali marsh of Kunfehértó.)
Owing to the rate of its numbers, Rana ridibunda is the dominant
species among the ones inhabiting the research area.
The species are all widely distributed, hilly to flat-land
species (eurytop taxa). They are therefore not natro-philous, but
of a high ecological valency. In semi-desert
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conditions, water is the most important environmental factor
which makes the settling of the above species possible, or rather
the survival of the specific populations. Even of the eurytop
species, only some few can adapt themselves to such unfavourable
conditions. This also explains the small number of the species.
(The smaller size, as related to that occurring in plain areas of
other characteristics, de-monstrable in some of the species also
imply that conditions are not quite optimal for even those which
live here.)
The individual numbers of the (aquatic forms of the) few
amphibians inhabiting the research area are rather high. According
to I . K I S S (1959),with respect to the phytoplankton of the
Kardoskut lake, and as put forward by J.MEGYERI (1959), concerning
the mesozooplankton of the alkali waters, the soda flats are
characterized less by the high number of species than by the great
number of individuals. Inte-restingly, this statement holds also
for the amphibians, but only for the larval stage and the younger
lunged form res-pectively, As soon as the amphibious Bpecies break
away from the protective environment of the water, they come under
extreme ecological effects. Pood supply decreases, since the sparse
plant cover of the dry land fails to offer an abun-dance of Insect
food. The number of predators increases. However, the decrease of
the individual numbers can in es-sentials be ascribed to the summer
drought, destroying tens of thousands of the young frog
generation.
Progs and toads, being Poikilothermie animals, endure hunger
rather well. However, their organism can hardly take measures
against drying out. Members of the genus Rana and the family
Discoglossidae are especially sensitive to this. In the survival of
the amphibious fauna, the nawy holes, ditches j, abandoned wells
around the lake play a decisive role.Bombinators and lake
frogs,retreated to these shelters, obtain but a paucity of food
there, but they can still weather drought rather well. (On 3 July,
1962, I observed
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even belatedly mating bombinators in an abandoned well.) During
the summer drought, the main shelters of the am-
phibian fauna are afforded by the deep cracks of the ground in
the bottom of the lake and the coastal zone. They spend this
dangerous period here in a sleep-like state (HEUSSER, 1961).
However, as soon as the suboptimal environmental con-ditions tend
to become better, owing to, for instance, the elevation of the
ground water level, they immediately resume their activity. This
was corroborated by my observation on 17 September, 1962. After two
months of severe drought, the alkali flat was drenched In a deluge
of rain. No frog was visible for days. After the storm, the
bombinators appeared in a number of sites In spite of the late
evening hours.
If the drying out of the waters coincides with still the larval
stage of the species,they vill inexorably perish. This holds
especially for Bombina bombina, not selective with respect to the
site of egg-laying and frequently depo-siting its clusters of eggs
even in very shallow waters. These of course will soon evaporate
and the eggs die.
Difficulties of hibernation also contribute to the de-crease of
individual numbers. The shallow autumnal waters of the lake will
freeze to its bootm in cold winters. Specimens which were unable to
retreat to deep enough nrud layers will also freeze. Ditches, pits,
abandoned wells with deep water again play an important role.
Individual numbers are further decreased by indirect
anthropogenous effects, exerted on the herpetofauna by the
inhibitants of farms around the lake: the great number of domestic
fowl constantly decimates the amphibian and reptile
populations.
The apparent technophily (HEUSSER, 1961), evolving in certain
amphibian species,is also connected with the anthro-pogenous
effects .Bombinators and lake-Inhabiting frogs name-ly use for
ovipositing-sites broken vessels and other domes-tic implements
thrown into the water as though they were
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aquatic plants or mud islands. They hang their egg-strands on
stakes driven into the water, and also on wicker hedges, as if they
were reed-stems or reed stumps.
Under technophily, we mean the active search for human
artifacts. However, the above species do not actively search for
the objects mentioned during their spawning, but only make use of
them when finding those in their spawning sites. Hence this is only
an apparent technophily.
The green toad is a better case in point, because this species
actually visits human artifacts to search for hiding places and to
feed on insects thriving in human environ-ments .
In the material and energy turnover of the area, herpe-tofauna
again playes an important role, especially as far as the abundance
of the amphibious larvae are concerned. They constitute a
significant portion of the food of a great number of aquatic birds
nidifying or feeding on the lake.
From the point of view of agriculture, no member of the
herpetofauna is injurious. Indeed, owing to their entomopha-gous
habits, they are definitely useful. It is merely the grass snake
which might be accused of causing some damages, the destruction of
the frogs. However, owing to the small number of its population,
the damages - -9 negligible.
Summary
In the course of investigations in the years 1962-1965, I have
established the presence of 6 amphibian species and 1 subspecies,
as well as 2 reptile species, in the Fehértó near Kardoskut. They
are all eurytop species tolerating the envi-ronmental conditions of
the alkali plains. However, they are not natrophilous. Small
specific and high individual numbers are characteristic of
amphibians inhabiting the soda lake and its nevironment. The
gravest danger of the herpetofauna lies in desiccation against
which they protect themselves
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by a sleep-like state. Anthropogeneous effects strongly
de-cimates the amphibian and reptile stocks. An apparent
techo-phily can be observed. The herpetofauna plays an important
role in the material and energy turnover of the lake. All observed
amphibians and reptiles, with the sxception of a neutral species,
are useful from an agricultural point of view.
A Kardoskúti Fehértó herpetofaunaja
Irta: Morion Miklós Móra Ferenc Múzeum, Szeged
Szerző a Magyar Tudományos Akadémia által irányított
szikeskutató program keretében 1962-1965-ig vizsgálta az Orosháza
közelében, szoloncsák talajon fekvő, szélsőségesen kontinentális
éghajlatú Kardoskúti Fehértó herpetofaunáját«
A különböző biotópokban 6 amphibia fajt (Triturus c. eristatus
LAUR., Bombina bomblna L., Pelobates f. fuscus LAUR., Bufo v.
viridis LAÜR., Hyla a. arborea L., Rana ridi-bunda PAIL.), egy
fajváltozatot (Bombina bomblna Lc var. vi-ridis MARIÁK) és két
reptilia fajt (Lacerta a.agilis L.,Nat-rix n. natrix L. ) talált. A
kétéltűek domináns faja a Rana ridibunda PAH.
A fajok számát a szélsőséges környezeti adottságok ma-gyarázzák
meg, amelyekhez csak kevés faj tud alkalmazkodni. Ezek sem
natrophil tulajdonságú, hanem széles ökológiai va-lenciáju eurytop
fajok, amelyek jól tűrik az olykor félsiva-tagi környezetet. A
szikesekre jellemző a kis fajszámmal je-lenlévő amphibiák
vizialakjainak (lárváinak) nagy egyedszá-ma. Az itt élő fajok
egyedszámát legjobban csöökenti az a tény, hogy a tó vize nyáron
teljesen elpárolog, télen fené-kig befagy. Mindkét esetben a tó
közvetlen környékén talál-
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ható mélyebb vízü árkok, gödrök, kutak mentik át a herpeto-fauna
tagjait.
Az anyag- és energiaforgalomban a herpetofaunának je-lentős
szereke van. Elsősorban emlithetők itt a különböző kétéltű faj ok
nagy mennyiségben jelenlévő lárvái, melyek a visimadarak eledelének
egy részét teszik ki.
A meg' igyelt kétéltűek és hüllők - a vizisikló kivéte-lével - a
mezőgazdaságra hasznosak.
References - Irodalom
1. NADÓ, M.i A Kardoskuti Fehértó természeti földrajzi viszonyai
(1966. Kézirat). - 2. ARANY, S.: A szikes talaj és javitása
(Budapest, 1956, pp.408). - 3. ÁBRAHÁM, A.: Teen-dőink az Alföld
állattani feldolgozása terén (Az Alföldi Tu-dományos Intézet
1944-45. Évkönyve, 1945, p.273-284). - 4. BODROGKÖZI, GY.: Á
Kardoskuti Fehértó hal of il makrovegetá-ciója (1966. Kézirat). -
5- DADAY, J.: Adatok az alföldi szi-kes vizek mikro faunájának
ismeretéhez (Mat.és Termtud. Ért. ,12, 1956,p. 10-43). -
6.D0NÁSZY,E.: AZ alföldi szikes tavak limnoló-giai kutatása
(Hidrológiai Közlöny, 36, 2, 1956, p.129). -7. DUDICH, E.: A magyar
állatvilág kutatásának megszervezése (Állattani Közlemények, 25,
1928, p.1-15). - 8. DUDICH, E.: A magyar zoológia ötéves terve
(M.T.A. Biol. és Agrártud. Oszt. Közleményei, III, 1957,
p.425-445). - 9. FEJÉRVÁRY-NÉ, LÁNG, A.M.: Beiträge und
Berichtigungen zum Amphibien-und Reptilien-Teil des ungarischen
Faunenkataloges (Fragm. Faun.Hung., 6, 2-3, 1943, p.42-38)- - 10.
HEUSSER, H.: Die Bedeutung der äusseren Situation in Verhalten
einiger Amphi-bienarten (Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 68, 1,
1961,p.24-25). -
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11. KISS, I.: A Kardoskut-Pusztaközponti Fehértó mikrovege-
tációjja (Szegedi Pedagógiai F