Does desiccation risk drive the distribution of juvenile cane toads (<i>Bufo marinus</i>) in tropical Australia?

Child, Travis; Phillips, Benjamin L.; Shine, Richard

doi:10.1017/s0266467408005695

Cited by 27 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 24 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Cane toads breed in temporary and permanent ponds across this area, spawning most frequently at the end of the wet-season, as pond levels begin to fall; but they also can breed during the dry season [42], (M. R. Crossland and E. Cabrera-Guzmán unpublished data). Toad metamorphs (the first terrestrial phase, immediately after transformation from the tadpole) are mainly diurnal [62] and remain near the edge of natal ponds during the dry season [63]. They disperse through the wider landscape during the wet season [51], [63], [64] but often remain close to the pond from which they emerged [52].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Toad metamorphs (the first terrestrial phase, immediately after transformation from the tadpole) are mainly diurnal [62] and remain near the edge of natal ponds during the dry season [63]. They disperse through the wider landscape during the wet season [51], [63], [64] but often remain close to the pond from which they emerged [52]. Juvenile toads become increasingly nocturnal.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Larger Body Size at Metamorphosis Enhances Survival, Growth and Performance of Young Cane Toads (Rhinella marina)

et al. 2013

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Body size at metamorphosis is a key trait in species (such as many anurans) with biphasic life-histories. Experimental studies have shown that metamorph size is highly plastic, depending upon larval density and environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, food supply, water quality, chemical cues from conspecifics, predators and competitors). To test the hypothesis that this developmental plasticity is adaptive, or to determine if inducing plasticity can be used to control an invasive species, we need to know whether or not a metamorphosing anuran’s body size influences its subsequent viability. For logistical reasons, there are few data on this topic under field conditions. We studied cane toads (Rhinella marina) within their invasive Australian range. Metamorph body size is highly plastic in this species, and our laboratory studies showed that larger metamorphs had better locomotor performance (both on land and in the water), and were more adept at catching and consuming prey. In mark-recapture trials in outdoor enclosures, larger body size enhanced metamorph survival and growth rate under some seasonal conditions. Larger metamorphs maintained their size advantage over smaller siblings for at least a month. Our data support the critical but rarely-tested assumption that all else being equal, larger body size at metamorphosis is likely to enhance an individual’s long term viability. Thus, manipulations to reduce body size at metamorphosis in cane toads may help to reduce the ecological impact of this invasive species.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Larger Body Size at Metamorphosis Enhances Survival, Growth and Performance of Young Cane Toads (Rhinella marina)

et al. 2013

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Previous research has shown that agar models provide robust estimates of water exchange rates in free-living cane toads in our study areas [27], [35], [36]. Our enclosures were situated within an area containing abundant free-living toads (and farms, and thus manure), and it is difficult to see why the facilitation of food supply offered by our artificial cowpats would not occur in nature also.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Cane Toads on Cowpats: Commercial Livestock Production Facilitates Toad Invasion in Tropical Australia

et al. 2012

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Habitat disturbance and the spread of invasive organisms are major threats to biodiversity, but the interactions between these two factors remain poorly understood in many systems. Grazing activities may facilitate the spread of invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina) through tropical Australia by providing year-round access to otherwise-seasonal resources. We quantified the cane toad’s use of cowpats (feces piles) in the field, and conducted experimental trials to assess the potential role of cowpats as sources of prey, water, and warmth for toads. Our field surveys show that cane toads are found on or near cowpats more often than expected by chance. Field-enclosure experiments show that cowpats facilitate toad feeding by providing access to dung beetles. Cowpats also offer moist surfaces that can reduce dehydration rates of toads and are warmer than other nearby substrates. Livestock grazing is the primary form of land use over vast areas of Australia, and pastoral activities may have contributed substantially to the cane toad’s successful invasion of that continent.

show abstract

“…In our lab trials we deliberately chose small toads to minimize mortality in the snakes, but no such mechanism operated in the field. Additionally, small toads are concentrated around waterbody fringes, especially during the dry season (Child et al, 2008;Child, Phillips & Shine, 2009), and thus may not be encountered by death adders in other habitat types. In contrast, large toads are widely distributed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predator behaviour and morphology mediates the impact of an invasive species: cane toads and death adders in Australia

Phillips

Greenlees

Brown

et al. 2010

Animal Conservation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The arrival of an invasive species can have severe impacts on native species. The extent of the impact, as well as the speed at which native species may mount an adaptive response, depend upon the correlation between impact and the individual phenotypes of the native species. Strong correlation between phenotype and impact within the native species raises the possibility of rapid adaptive response to the invader. Here, we examine the impact of a dangerous newly arrived prey species (the highly toxic cane toad Bufo marinus) on naı¨ve predators (death adders Acanthophis praelongus) in northern Australia. During laboratory trials and field radiotracking, toads killed 48% of the adders we studied. Long-term monitoring of the population also suggests a massive decline (489%) in recent years concurrent with the arrival of toads. Variation in snake physiology (resistance to toad toxin) had little bearing on snake survival in the field. Snake behaviour (tendency to attack toads) and morphology (body size and head size), however, were strong predictors of snake survival. Smaller snakes with relatively small heads, and snakes that were unwilling to attack toads in the laboratory, had much higher survival rates in the field. These results show that toads have a massive impact on death adder populations, but that snake phenotypes strongly mediate this impact. Thus natural selection is operating on these adder populations and an adaptive response is a possibility. If these adders can rapidly shift toad-relevant morphological and behavioural traits (either through plastic or evolved means), they will ultimately face a lowered impact from this toxic invader.

show abstract

Does desiccation risk drive the distribution of juvenile cane toads (Bufo marinus) in tropical Australia?

Cited by 27 publications

References 24 publications

Larger Body Size at Metamorphosis Enhances Survival, Growth and Performance of Young Cane Toads (Rhinella marina)

Larger Body Size at Metamorphosis Enhances Survival, Growth and Performance of Young Cane Toads (Rhinella marina)

Cane Toads on Cowpats: Commercial Livestock Production Facilitates Toad Invasion in Tropical Australia

Predator behaviour and morphology mediates the impact of an invasive species: cane toads and death adders in Australia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About