Does spatial sorting occur in the invasive Asian toad in Madagascar? Insights into the invasion unveiled by morphological analyses

Abstract

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Life History Traits and Longevity of the Invasive Asian Common Toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Schneider, 1799) in Madagascar

“…Unlike what is known for native populations of Asian toad [31] as well as for other bufonids (e.g., Bufo bufo [39], Sclerophrys pardalis [40], and Rhinella arenarum [28]), the females were not always significantly larger than the males. This finding is in agreement with Licata et al [11],…”

“…In accordance with previous studies [ 11 ], males of the invasive population of the Asian common toads in Madagascar are larger in body size than the native populations, However, we did not find the same conclusion as far as the females are concerned, which were found to be slightly smaller. Indeed, the mean SVL ± SD of the adults and subadults was 71.9 ± 1.6 mm in males and 78.2 ± 1.9 mm in females in Madagascar and 60.7 ± 6.2 mm in males and 81.3 ± 9.2 in females in a native population from Vietnam [ 31 ].…”

“…Unluckily, Madagascar is currently the stage of an ongoing invasion determined by an introduced amphibian species: the Asian common toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Schneider, 1799) (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae). This species is native to Southeast Asia and was introduced to Madagascar between 2007 and 2010 [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. This species is considered the third most harmful alien amphibian species, after Rhinella marina and Xenopus laevis [ 1 ], and represents a serious threat to the unique biodiversity of Madagascar, as well as to the biodiversity of other geographical areas where it was introduced [ 12 , 13 ].…”

“…This species is considered the third most harmful alien amphibian species, after Rhinella marina and Xenopus laevis [ 1 ], and represents a serious threat to the unique biodiversity of Madagascar, as well as to the biodiversity of other geographical areas where it was introduced [ 12 , 13 ]. Indeed, several biological (including the presence of parotid glands which produce bufotoxins) and ecological (including high clutch size and a generalist diet) characteristics allow this species to readily adapt to new environments, be competitive with native species, have disruptive effects on predators, and establish stable populations at faster rates [ 11 , 14 ]. Recent studies have revealed a drastic impact on the native Malagasy frog-eating snake Madagascarophis colubrinus , with an estimated monthly mortality rate due to toad poisoning of ca.…”

The toad less travelled: comparing life histories, ecological niches, and potential habitat of Asian black-spined toads and cane toads

“…Species presence data for ABSTs and cane toads were obtained from open access databases, and ABST records were supplemented with recent records from Madagascar (Licata et al 2021;Licata and Crottini, unpubl. data).…”