| Summary: | Background. The growth of anthropogenic pressure on water bodies due to the
expansion of agglomerations contributes to the reduction in the abundance of both rare and
widespread amphibian species. We studied the features of Pelophylax ridibundus adaptations
living in urban water bodies to anthropogenic pollution based on the study of a number
of morphometric and biochemical parameters. Materials and methods. For the study,
three reservoirs were used on the territory of the city of Makhachkala with varying degrees
of pollution, based on the calculation of the coefficient of complexity of environmental
pollution. In mature P. ridibundus, after spawning, morphometric measurements were taken,
body weight was measured, linear indices were calculated, and the content of total protein,
cholesterol in tissues, and blood glucose was determined. Results. In the course of
studying the morphometric parameters of P. ridibundus in a polluted environment, a decrease
in the morphometric parameters of the body, the presence of size-weight sexual dimorphism,
and an increase in the size of the head and limbs in females were noted. Correlation
analysis showed the presence of a negative correlation in females between the L/L.c.
and F/T indices from polluted water bodies and a positive correlation from a water body
with a low degree of pollution. In males, only a positive correlation was noted. According
to the factor analysis of variance, it was revealed that environmental pollution affects the
decrease in body weight, cholesterol and glucose levels, as well as an increase in the total
protein content in P. ridibundus tissues (R2 ≥ 53 %, p ≤ 0.05). Some parameters are also
affected by gender, as well as the interaction of two factors. Conclusions. The population
variability of body weight and biochemical parameters in P. ridibundus is largely due to
environmental pollution, while the variability of morphometric parameters both within and
between populations is due to a complex of factors, where the degree of environmental pollution
affects to a lesser extent.
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