Naive poison frog tadpoles use bi-modal cues to avoid insect predators but not heterospecific predatory tadpoles

Abstract

For animals to survive until reproduction, it is crucial that juveniles successfully detect potential predators and respond with appropriate behavior. The recognition of cues originating from predators can be innate or learned. Cues of various modalities might be used alone or in multi-modal combinations to detect and distinguish predators but studies investigating multi-modal integration in predator avoidance are scarce. Here, we used wild, naive tadpoles of the Neotropical Poison Frog Allobates femoralis (Boulenger, 1884) to test their reaction to cues with two modalities from two different sympatrically occurring potential predators: heterospecific predatory Dendrobates tinctorius tadpoles and dragonfly larvae. We presented A. femoralis tadpoles with olfactory or visual cues, or a combination of both and compared their reaction to a water-control in a between-individual design. In our trials, A. femoralis tadpoles reacted to multimodal stimuli (a combination of visual and chemical information) originating from dragonfly larvae with avoidance but showed no reaction to uni-modal cues or cues from heterospecific tadpoles. In addition, visual cues from conspecifics increased swimming activity while cues from predators had no effect on tadpole activity. Our results show that A. femoralis tadpoles can innately recognize some predators and likely need both visual and chemical information to effectively avoid them. This is the first study looking at anti-predator behavior in Poison Frog tadpoles. We discuss how parental care might influence the expression of predator avoidance responses in tadpoles.

Multimodal Cues Do Not Improve Predator Recognition in Green Toad Tadpoles

“…Our results agree with most previous studies, which did not record anything more than weak responses to visual cues of potential predators by tadpoles of several anuran species ( Rana lessonae and Rana esculenta , [ 32 ]; Bufo boreas , [ 33 ]; Mannophryne trinitatis , [ 34 ], 2006; Rana pipiens , [ 35 ]; Sphaerotheca breviceps and Bufo melanostictus , [ 36 ]; Allobates femoralis , [ 37 ]).…”

“…Szabo et al [ 37 ] investigated the response of neotropical poison frog Allobates femoralis exposed to visual and chemical cues of either a larval odonate predator or heterospecific predatory Dendrobates tinctorius tadpoles. Although the response was weak, differing from our results, tadpoles avoided the glass cylinder containing the odonate predator when also exposed to its odour, while their behaviour was not affected by the presence of the heterospecific predator.…”

Visual environment of rearing sites affects larval response to perceived risk

“…Ultimately, there exists a wealth of mechanistic oriented vision research, primarily in fish, showing that environmental light and colour affect the expression of visual pigments during development (Fuller et al 2005, Shand et al 2008. Thus, although we do not assess the visual system from a proximate perspective, multiple studies have shown that tadpoles rely on vision to assess risk (Hettyey et al 2012, Szabo et al 2021, substantiating the role of vision as an important modality in the larval umwelt. While the link between turbidity as a particular case of 'red-shifted' environment (Jerlov 1976, Corbo 2021) and visual restructuring remains to be experimentally tested in tadpoles, recent interest in this field (Donner andYovanovich 2020, Corbo 2021) is starting to yield exciting insights.…”

Use of multimodal sensory cues in predator avoidance by wild-caught zebrafish shoals

“…2017). Tadpoles of neotropical poison frog (Allobates femoralis) can effectively avoid predators only when both visual and olfactory cues from the predators are present (Szabo et at. 2021).…”