Dispersal and migration in yellow-bellied toads, 'Bombina variegata'

In 2010 and 2011 a capture-recapture study on the Yellow-bellied Toad, Bombina variegata (Linnaeus, 1785) was conducted in a forested area in Großkrottenbach (Lower Austria). This study is based on data of a previous study by Gollmann (2005). A total of 834 individuals were identified and nearly half of the population consisted of juveniles. The snout vent length and the body mass was on average higher in females than in males. The scaled mass index was not affected by sex, altitude, and movement activity, but differed between months – it was higher in autumn than in spring and summer. Of metamorphs first captured in 2008, a total of 80% left their natal sites. The dispersal rate of metamorphs was 617 m per generation. The maximum observed distance of 3042 m over a period of four years was covered by a former metamorph. For individuals captured between 2010 and 2011 the annual dispersal rate was 234 m. The maximum observed distance covered by juveniles was 1153 m, 1113 m by males and 950 m by females. Site fidelity was found for more than 60% of these toads. No differences in the movement activity of juvenile and adult yellow-bellied toads were found.