Alien Populations Of Painted Frogs, Genus Discoglossus, On The Southeastern Coast Of France: Two Examples Of Anthropogenic Introduction

Introductions of animals and plants by humans permanently restructure the distribution ranges of species and the compositions of communities, a phenomenon which has been intensified in recent decades with globalization. However, it is often difficult to date these introductions or to identify the geographic origin of the introduced individuals. In this study, genetic variation in the mitochondrial gene for cytochrome b was examined in native populations of painted frogs (genus Discoglossus) and introduced individuals discovered at two novel locations in the south-east of France, to determine their specific ranks and origins. The population of Discoglossus sardus identified at Marseille probably originated from Corsica, and that of Discoglossus pictus discovered at Grimaud in the Var Department probably originated from the previously introduced range of the species in the southwestern Mediterranean region of France. These newly discovered populations of painted frogs represent an unresolved conservation issue, as they are allochthonous in the respective regions on one hand, but on the other hand they belong to species which are legally protected in France and Europe. As next steps, assessing their range expansion is important, as is studying the nature of the relationship between these painted frog populations and the native amphibian communities.