• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.207-212
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• 1994

The census of Amphibia fauna in Tokyusan National Park was carried out during April 10, 1993 and August 8 - August 9, 1993 at the areas of construction field of golf course in Muju Resort and the Chibong. There were 6 species of 5 genera on the 4 families, 2 orders of Amphibia in Tokyusan National Park including Hynobius leechii. Onychodactylus fischeri, and Bufo bufo gargarizans which were announced the specific wild animals with the object of conserving by The Ministry of Environment. At the area of construction field of golf course in Muju Resort, there were 5 species of Amphibia observed as Hynobius leechii, Bombina orientalis, Bufo bufo gargarizans, Rana nigromaculata, and Rana dybowskii. Onychodactylus fischeri and Rana dyhowskii were observed at the Chibong area. The Chibong inwhich was observed 9 relatively large number of individuals of Onychodactylus fischeri was revealed as an environmentally sound habitat to Onychodactylus fischeri. Whereas in the construction field of golf course, there were intended to diminishing species and population size rapidly by progress with construction works. Therefore the large construction works such as golf couse and ski slopes which were concerning to deteriorate the natural environment should be restrain in National Park for animal diversity conservative.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.865-872
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• 2015

Body size is one of the important factors that determine mating success in various animal taxa. Nevertheless, only few related studies have been conducted on Korean salamanders. In this study, we have investigated whether large male Gori salamander (Hynobius yangi), which is a Korean endemic species and is unknown for its mating behaviors, is dominant in the mating competition than small males. Thirteen sets of mating trials composed of one large male, one small male, and one female per each group were analyzed in the categories of courtship display towards females, male competition and egg fertilizing behavior. The results show that the mating behaviors between large and small males towards females or with each other did not significantly differ. These results may have been caused by a small size variation among males and the presence of plenty of oviposition locations in breeding sites. This is the first report on Gori salamander's mating behaviors.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.744-750
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• 2010

This study examined the different polyphenism of larval salamander Hynobius ieechii according to two habitats, pond and stream. We collected salamander's eggs from three regions including Mountain Inwang, Surak and Gwangju. Eggs were treated by four different conditions according to predation level and habitat: high risk - which had a predation risk three times a day; low risk - which had no predation risk, pond and stream habitat. Predation risk was conducted by using chemical cue from Chinese minnows. The chemical cue treatment started from the day of collection and ended one week after the hatching. After the treatment phase, we measured the head width at the level of the eyes(HWE) and the largest head width(LHW) and snout-vent length of the each larva. We calculated the ratio of the head size by dividing HWE by LHW and made a comparison with each of the average ratio of head size according to the predation risk. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the ratio of the head size and snout-vent length according to the predation risk and habitat. From these results we found that predation risk and habitat condition can cause the different polyphenism to the larval salamander and these morphological changes could be affect their mortality.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.342-347
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• 2012

This study was conducted to demonstrate the relationship between experience of cannibalism and difference of phenotype in the Korean salamander Hynobius leechii from March to April 2011. We examined whether the different polyphenism of larval salamander is induced as a result of indirect cannibalism in early life cycle. We divided into two groups(one group continuously exposed to the indirect cannibalism and the other group never exposed to the cannibalism). We measured the head width at the level of eyes(HWE), the largest head width(LHW) and snout-vent length(SVL) of the each larva then calculated the ratio of the head size by dividing HWE by LHW. We found that exposure of indirect cannibalism in early life cycle cause the different polyphenism. Our result means the larval salamander responded to the chemical cue from conspecific.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 1995

Using immunohistochemical technique, three endocrine cell types were observed in the GIT of the Korean salamander, Hynobius leechii. BPP-immunoreactive cells were distributed from the pyloric region to the small intestine. A moderated number of somatostatin-immunoreactive cells were restricted to the pyloric region. 5-HT-immunoreactive cells were demonstrated throughout the GIT, reaching a peak in the pyloric region. The presence of BPP- and 5-HT-immunoreactive cells are identified for the first time in Hynobius leechii.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.84-96
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• 1993

한국산 도롱뇽(Hynobius leechii) 유생의 다리 발생 과정을 관찰하고 잠재적 돌연변이 유발물질인 제-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine(MNNG)과 잠재적 기형 유발물질인 retinol palmitate가 다리 발생에 미치는 영향을 알아보았다. 정상적인 개체에서 됫다리의 발생 단계는 외부와 내부의 형태적 특징을 기준으로 하여 7단계로 나누어 볼 수 있었으며 전연골세포의 밀집에 따른 골격형성은 다리 발생아의 근위부에서 시작하여 원위부로 진행됨을 확인할 수 있었다. 도롱뇽 유생을 MNNG(10 rpm)나 retinol palmitate(37.5 lpm)로 처리한 경우, 공통적으로 다리 원위부의 골격 형성이 억제되었으며, 특히 이러한 골격 형성 억제 현상은 처리시기가 이를수록 보다 심하게 나타났다. 이러한 결과는 발생을 저해하는 물질에 대한 미분화 상태의 세포들의 반응성이 발생과정 중 특정 단계에 국한됨을 시사하는 것으로 해석된다.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.480-489
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• 2021

Climate change poses great threats to wildlife populations by decreasing their number and destroying their habitats, jeopardizing biodiversity conservation. Asiatic salamander (Hynobiidae) species are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to their small home range and limited dispersal ability. Thus, this study used one salamander species, the Korean clawed salamander (Onychodactylus koreanus), as a model species and examined their habitat characteristics and current distribution in South Korea to predict its spatial distribution under climate change. As a result, we found that altitude was the most important environmental factor for their spatial distribution and that they showed a dense distribution in high-altitude forest regions such as Gangwon and Gyeongsanbuk provinces. The spatial distribution range and habitat characteristics predicted in the species distribution models were sufficiently in accordance with previous studies on the species. By modeling their distribution changes under two different climate change scenarios, we predicted that the distribution range of the Korean clawed salamander population would decrease by 62.96% under the RCP4.5 scenario and by 98.52% under the RCP8.5 scenario, indicating a sharp reduction due to climate change. The model's AUC value was the highest in the present (0.837), followed by RCP4.5 (0.832) and RCP8.5 (0.807). Our study provides a basic reference for implementing conservation plans for amphibians under climate change. Additional research using various analysis techniques reflecting habitat characteristics and minute habitat factors for the whole life cycle of Korean-tailed salamanders help identify major environmental factors that affect species reduction.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.485-491
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• 2013

This study examined the cannibalistic polyphenism of larval salamander Hynobius leechii by the level of predation risk. Salamander eggs were collected from three regions (Mountain Inwang, Mountain Surak and Gwangju). Eggs were treated by three different risk conditions: (1) high risk, predation risk three times a day; (2) medium risk, predation risk once a day; and (3) low risk, no predation risk. Predation risk was conducted using a chemical cue from Chinese minnows. The chemical cue treatment started from the day of collection and ended one week after hatching. Post-treatment measurements were head width at the level of the eyes (HWE), largest head width (LHW), and Snout-vent length of the each larva. To compare the morphological change according to the predation risk, we modified the two head size, HWE and LHW, to HWE/LHW. A significant difference in HWE/LHW and snout-vent length was evident according to the level of predation risk. And larval mortality was increase by the predation risk. The results indicate that predation risk can cause cannibalistic polyphenism of larval salamander and this morphological change could influence larval mortality.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.582-590
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• 2018

Although there are many studies of the effect of climate change on the breeding phenology and community diversity of amphibians, the studies of variations in reproductive population size of individual species according to climate change are still lacking. We examined the effect of climate change on the reproductive population size of Rana huanrenensis and Hynobius leechii, which bred in mountain valleys, by surveying the reproductive population of the two species between 2005 and 2012 and analyzing the correlation between the variation of the outdoor population and the surrounding climate change factors, obtained from a meteorological observatory located at 5.6 km from the study site. The size of the reproductive population of the two species commonly fluctuated with aan pproximately 3.5-year cycle. That of H. leechii, in particular, decreased significantly over eight years. The air temperature tended to more closely relate with the reproductive population size of R. huanrenensis as was the case of the precipitation with that of H. leechii. The yearly mean highest temperature and spring mean temperature variation consistently decreased over the eight years, and the latter was related with the significantly decreased size of H. leechii reproductive population. These results showed that recent climate change directly could affect the reproductive population size of amphibians, particularly H. leechii, which breeds in mountain valleys.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.213-223
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• 2022

This study was conducted to establish a Habitat Suitability index (HSI) based on literature research and field surveys on ecology and habitat of 'Hynobius leechii'. And this study will be used as basic data for qualitative evaluation of habitat environment. The survey sites were divided into natural habitats close to the prototype habitat and artificial restoration areas where Hynobius leechii was monitored. So the types of habitats were diversified. Hynobius leechii is a vulnerable species to climate change because it is affected by the microhabitat and has low mobility. HSI variables of Hynobius leechii were extracted through domestic and overseas literature, and standards were extracted from literature research and field survey. The standards were presented as a value of the physical allowable category in consideration of realization. To verify the study, an in-depth consultation was conducted by amphibians experts. HSI variables of Hynobius leechii were included 9 variables such as Overstory canopy cover(%), Understory cover(%), Water-pH, Soil-pH, Soil relative humidity(%), Leaf litter depth(cm), Rock substrates (%), Type of Coarse woody, Distance from Street or Pollutant(m).