Do anuran larvae respond behaviourally to chemical cues from an invasive crayfish predator? A community-wide study

Nunes, Ana L.; Richter‐Boix, Àlex; Laurila, Anssi; Rebelo, Rui

doi:10.1007/s00442-012-2389-6

Cited by 71 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Here, we present additional evidence of a reduction of swimming activity in tadpoles of the European brown frog when they are faced with the presence of water-borne chemical cues of an invasive slider turtle. Contrary to other studies that used the proportion of active tadpoles (Griffiths et al 1998;Awan & Smith 2007;McClure et al 2009;Almeida et al 2011;Nunes et al 2012;Pujol-Buxó et al 2013), spatial avoidance (Almeida et al 2011;Nunes et al 2012) or the number of movements (Polo-Cavia et al 2010) as a proxy of swimming activity, we used a more accurate approach by videotracking and analysing exact swimming trajectories and lengths, including path-shape parameters. We observed that tadpoles significantly reduced their swimming activity when chemical stimuli from the slider turtle were present in the water.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In natural systems, tadpoles spend their lives in a cocktail of chemical cues from potential predators and food sources. Previous research has reported examples of (1) frog species that only respond to predators that they would naturally experience in the wild (Kiesecker et al 1996;Griffiths et al 1998;PoloCavia et al 2010;Almeida et al 2011;Nunes et al 2012) and (2) species that shape their behaviour based on the presence of either native or alien predators (Almeida et al 2011;Nunes et al 2012). As we are aware, there is no report about amphibian species which respond to novel predators only.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of an alien turtle predator on movement activity of European brown frog tadpoles

Berec

Klapka

Zemek

2016

Italian Journal of Zoology

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An increasing amount of attention has been devoted to studying the impact of non-native plant and animal species on native species. In this paper, we examined the antipredator response of naïve European brown frog (Rana temporaria Linnaeus, 1758) tadpoles to water-borne chemical cues from invasive red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans Wied, 1838) in the presence and the absence of conspecific tadpoles. The level of swimming activity was expressed as the length of the tadpoles' trajectory. The tadpoles showed a decrease in swimming activity when predator stimuli were present, which was highly significant when the tadpoles were measured individually and did not have contact (visual and chemical) with other tadpoles. In the absence of chemical cues of slider turtles, the presence of other tadpoles had no effect on the level of swimming activity. Moreover, for the first time in tadpoles, we found that the decrease in swimming activity was also accompanied by changes in swimming trajectory, with tadpoles exposed to predator cues swimming in more zigzagged trajectories. Our experiment shows that invasive slider turtles, as a novel predator, have a measurable influence on the swimming behaviour of European brown frog tadpoles. Consequences of the reduced swimming activity of tadpoles, like its impact on growth, are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of an alien turtle predator on movement activity of European brown frog tadpoles

Berec

Klapka

Zemek

2016

Italian Journal of Zoology

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“…Numerous studies show that naive prey sometimes respond appropriately to novel predators, but in other cases, they do not [10][11][12][13], which can be fatal. Numerous studies also show that naive consumers sometimes adopt novel resources or suitable novel habitats but, in other cases, ignore or even avoid novel options that could be used beneficially [14,15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting behavioural responses to novel organisms: state-dependent detection theory

2017

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Human activity alters natural habitats for many species. Understanding variation in animals' behavioural responses to these changing environments is critical. We show how signal detection theory can be used within a wider framework of state-dependent modelling to predict behavioural responses to a major environmental change: novel, exotic species. We allow thresholds for action to be a function of reserves, and demonstrate how optimal thresholds can be calculated. We term this framework 'state-dependent detection theory' (SDDT). We focus on behavioural and fitness outcomes when animals continue to use formerly adaptive thresholds following environmental change. In a simple example, we show that exposure to novel animals which appear dangerous-but are actually safe-(e.g. ecotourists) can have catastrophic consequences for 'prey' (organisms that respond as if the new organisms are predators), significantly increasing mortality even when the novel species is not predatory. SDDT also reveals that the effect on reproduction can be greater than the effect on lifespan. We investigate factors that influence the effect of novel organisms, and address the potential for behavioural adjustments (via evolution or learning) to recover otherwise reduced fitness. Although effects of environmental change are often difficult to predict, we suggest that SDDT provides a useful route ahead.

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“…One observer measured activity state by counting the number of active tadpoles at the instant of observation. The tadpole was considered to be active when it was actively swimming (either slowly or with bursts of speed), feeding (even if not substantially altering position), or simply undulating its tail (without actively swimming) (Nunes et al 2013). Tadpoles were considered to be preferring the upper part of the water column when located at 0-25 mm depth, and preferring the bottom when located below 25 mm in depth.…”

Section: Experimental Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Animals face varying degrees of predation risk in their natural habitats and predation is an important selective force acting on the behavior of prey species; therefore, behavior plays a decisive role in shaping the outcome of predator-prey interactions (Lima 1998;Nunes et al 2013). Previous studies demonstrate that amphibian larvae have evolved a variety of behavioral defenses against predators, including reduction in activity level (Laurila et al 1997;Smith et al , 2011Carlson and Langkilde 2014), increased aggregation behavior (Sih et al 2010;CasillasBarrag an et al 2016), changes in diel activity patterns (Casillas-Barrag an et al 2016), and shifts in microhabitat use to minimize predation risk (Semlitsch and Gavasso 1992;Nicieza 2000;Pearl et al 2003;Smith and Awan 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vulnerability and behavioral responses of South Chinese anuran tadpoles to native dragonfly (Pantala flavescens) naiads and introduced western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)

Fan

Zhen-shan

2017

Journal of Freshwater Ecology

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Alien predator species are a serious threat to amphibian populations. We studied the vulnerability and behavioral defenses of tadpoles of six Chinese anurans in response to the introduced, active foraging predator Gambusia affinis (western mosquitofish) and compared them with the responses to the native ambush predator Pantala flavescens (dragonfly and naiad stage) in laboratory experiments. The tadpoles were Bufo gargarizans, Duttaphrynus (formerly Bufo) melanostictus, Rana zhenhaiensis, Fejervarya multistriata, Microhyla onata, and Hoplobatrachus chinensis from Lishui, Zhejiang, South China. Our data showed that both native P. flavescens and introduced G. affinis could prey on the six tadpole species to different degrees and that the two toad tadpoles (B. gargarizans and D. melanostictus) were significantly less vulnerable to predation than the frog ones. The reduced vulnerability of toad tadpoles to predation may be attributed to their unpalatability and their continuous swimming ability, traits that are adaptive in more permanent habitats. Compared with the ambush predator P. flavescens, tadpoles reduced their activity level and used spatial avoidance measures when encountering G. affinis. Overall, our results suggest that some of the tadpoles in the study area are likely to recognize and respond to the predation threats of G. affinis.

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Do anuran larvae respond behaviourally to chemical cues from an invasive crayfish predator? A community-wide study

Cited by 71 publications

References 48 publications

Effect of an alien turtle predator on movement activity of European brown frog tadpoles

Effect of an alien turtle predator on movement activity of European brown frog tadpoles

Predicting behavioural responses to novel organisms: state-dependent detection theory

Vulnerability and behavioral responses of South Chinese anuran tadpoles to native dragonfly (Pantala flavescens) naiads and introduced western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)

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