Southern Breeding of the Chinese Brown Frog (Rana chensinensis): Preparatory Work for Breeding Juvenile and Adult Frogs

Breeding of Juvenile and Adult Frogs

1. Breeding Preparation Newly metamorphosed juvenile frogs are raised under fully enclosed conditions with netting for full artificial breeding. This makes management easier and uses less land, and the juvenile frogs grow quickly with a high survival rate. However, the following three basic elements must be met to ensure normal growth and development of the juvenile frogs.

(1) Disinfection and pest elimination: Before the juvenile frogs enter the breeding site, the breeding site must be thoroughly disinfected. Before disinfection, turn over the site, dissolve 100 g of trichlorfon or fenvalerate in water per 666.7 sq m (mu) and spray it to kill underground pests and beetles; then take 250 kg of quicklime (lump lime), divide it into several piles and add water to slake it into powder, then spread it evenly over the site, or dissolve 13 kg of bleaching powder in water and splash it on. After the juvenile frogs enter the breeding site, disinfection should also be carried out regularly to kill pathogens and reduce disease occurrence.

(2) Bait supply: Sufficient small live bait that can be swallowed must be provided for juvenile Chinese brown frogs. For artificial breeding, use 2nd-instar yellow mealworms, Jiulong worms (introduced from Japan, with larvae up to 1 cm long and a large range of movement, superior to yellow mealworms), and aseptic fly maggots within 3 days for feeding the frogs.

(3) Ecological environment: Provide the Chinese brown frog with a multi-layered green three-dimensional ecological environment and a relatively humid microclimate. Spray water regularly into the breeding site, do not let strong light shine directly on the Chinese brown frog, and if necessary, install 2 or even 3 layers of shade netting above the breeding site.