Suitability of European green frogs for intensive culture : Comparison between different phenotypes of the esculenta hybridogenetic complex
Résumé
European countries are probably the greatest consumers of frogs' legs, although this is occurring in a context of amphibian decline. Imports of frogs' legs have been increasing over the last few decades in relation to the development of deep-frozen products. This demand has stimulated farming with neotropical species for international trade. Today, in spite of some trials on European species, no production is effective. From the early 1990s, small-scale experimental rearing trials have been undertaken in Brittany (France) with a local green frog belonging to the esculenta complex (Rana ridibunda) which accepts granulated feed. This complex comprises two Mendelian species R. lessonae (LL) and R. ridibunda (RR) as well as their hybridogenetic hybrid Rana esculenta, which can be either diploid (RL) or triploid (RLL, RRL). The purpose of this study is to analyse the ability of each taxon to be reared. During the two months following metamorphosis, froglets were trained to eat pellets. The surviving individuals were reared for one year under regulated conditions to estimate the survival rate, growth and production of each frog type. The results show low survival rates (14.8 to 26.2%) for LL and RLL, higher rates (39–46.4%) for F1 and F2 from wild RR and RLL, with the highest rates (63.0 to 77.4%) for RL, RRL and all RR, using data from several years of rearing. After three years under rearing conditions, the adult survival rate is highest for rearing strain RRRivan 92* (53.7%). The growth rate varies greatly according to phenotype, and only frogs with an RR phenotype reach marketable size. In the wild, LL exhibits some difficulty in reaching this limit. As a result, production increases from 1.5–8.7 kg/m2 for individuals with an L hemiclone to 22.9–35.7 kg/m2 for each cohort of phenotype RR from at least two generations under rearing conditions. In relation to hybridogenesis processes, hybrids with diploid or triploid genomes do not seem to offer any advantage for production purposes. However, R. lessonae individuals from intensive rearing can produce fertile eggs and tadpoles, which could enable production for restocking to preserve wild diversity or build up new populations in suitable habitats.