Age and body size of the toad Bombina maxima in a subtropical high-altitude population

We used skeletochronology to determine age and body size of large-webbed bell toads (Bombina maxima) from a subtropical, high-altitude population in southwestern China. Mean age did not differ between the sexes. Minimum age at sexual maturity was two years for both sexes, and maximum longevity was six years for males and five years for females. Males were larger than females, also when accounting for the effect of age. A significant relationship between age and body size was only found for males. Sex showed no interaction with age, and age-size relationships did not differ between the sexes. These results suggest that longevity is an important factor accounting for differences in body size between the sexes.