Development and characterization of ten mcirosatellite loci for the eastern spadefoot toad, Scaphiopus holbrookii

Matthew R. Erickson¹, David E. Scott¹, Kenneth L. Jones², Cris Hagen¹, and Stacey L. Lance¹

¹Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA
²Georgia Genomics Facility, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA

Abstract: We isolated and characterized 10 microsatellite loci from the eastern spadefoot toad, Scaphiopus holbrookii. Loci were screened in 24 individuals from two schools of tadpoles in a single isolated wetland in South Carolina, USA. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 4 to 12, observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.200 to 0.875, and the probability of identity values ranged from 0.043 to 0.298. These new loci provide tools for examining the landscape genetics of a species facing continued destruction of its breeding habitat (small isolated wetlands) as well as fragmentation of upland life zones.