What does a Pacman eat? Macrophagy and necrophagy in a generalist predator (<i>Ceratophrys stolzmanni</i>)

Székely, Diana; Gaona, Fernando P.; Székely, Paul; Cogălniceanu, Dan

doi:10.7717/peerj.6406

Cited by 6 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…In the case of strong intra-and inter-specific competition or food shortage, the larger individuals may thus be better equipped for prey ingestion compared to smaller individuals by having access to a wider range of prey sizes. Additionally, since Ceratophrys species are known to prey on other amphibians [58], small individuals would also be more at risk of being victims of cannibalistic events. In the cane toad (Rhinella marina), the victims of cannibalistic events were a non-random subset of the juvenile population, represented by the smallest and weakest individuals [59].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How to recover from a bad start: size at metamorphosis affects growth and survival in a tropical amphibian

et al. 2020

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Background: In species with complex life cycles, size at metamorphosis is a key life-history trait which reflects the complex interactions between costs and benefits of life in the aquatic and terrestrial environments. Whereas the effects of a deteriorating larval habitat (e.g. pond desiccation) on triggering an early metamorphosis have been extensively investigated in amphibians, the consequences of the resulting reduced size at metamorphosis on fitness in the post-metamorphic terrestrial stage remain poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that a smaller size at metamorphosis negatively affects performance and survival in the ensuing terrestrial stage. Using as model a tropical amphibian (Ceratophrys stolzmanni) showing a large phenotypic plasticity in metamorphosing traits, we evaluated the effects of size at metamorphosis on fitness-related trophic and locomotor performance traits, as well as on growth and survival rates. Results:Our results support the hypothesis that a larger size at metamorphosis is correlated with better survival and performance. The survival rate of large metamorphosing individuals was 95%, compared to 60% for those completing metamorphosis at a small size. Locomotor performance and gape size were positively correlated with body size, larger animals being more mobile and capable to ingest larger prey. However, smaller individuals achieved higher growth rates, thus reducing the size gap. Conclusions:Overall, size at metamorphosis affected profoundly the chances of survival in the short term, but smaller surviving individuals partly compensated their initial disadvantages by increasing growth rates. BackgroundSpecies with complex life cycles, such as biphasic amphibians and insects, are able to exploit different ecological niches and optimize their life-history in discrete developmental stages [1,2]. The transition occurring at metamorphosis usually requires dramatic and irreversible morphological transformations, and is frequently accompanied by a complete change of the ecological niche [3,4]. Pond-breeding amphibians, which in their post-larval stages become terrestrial, represent ideal models to investigate the independence of pre-and postmetamorphic life-stages and the presence of carry-over effects from one stage to the other, affecting the overall fitness of individuals [5]. The most evident trade-off between the aquatic and terrestrial stages is reflected in body size at metamorphosis. When the aquatic larvae are confronted with unfavourable conditions, such as food shortage [6,7], high density [8], desiccation risk

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How to recover from a bad start: size at metamorphosis affects growth and survival in a tropical amphibian

et al. 2020

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“…Previous studies have reported that this species is cannibalistic and that it also feeds on other frogs like Trachycephalus jordani and on snakes like Leptodeira septentrionalis. We commonly found L. septentriolis during our surveys, and this species could be a feeding resource for C. stolzmani (Székely et al 2019).…”

Section: Microlophus Occipitalis (Peters 1871)mentioning

confidence: 84%

“…We report Ceratophrys stolzmanni, a species classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), from an altered ecosystem 55 years after it was last collected in the area (Peters 1967). This species was described as a good burrower (Székely et al 2016(Székely et al , 2019, which might allow it to persist in harsh environments. We emphasize the importance of maintaining small patches of native vegetation within production areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Herpetofauna of Engabao, Playas Canton, Ecuador, with notes on the occurrence of Ceratoprhys stolzmanni (Steindachner, 1882)

Cuadrado¹,

Loor²,

Narváez³

2020

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The Ecuadorian coast ecosystems are considered fragile due to anthropic activities, such as livestock production and agriculture, which are important economically. In this study, we document the herpetofauna of Engabao, in Playas Canton, Ecuador, and extend the distribution range of one species of frog. We performed day and night sampling, including transect surveys and visual encounters. Ten species of amphibians and reptiles were recorded. Included among these species the Threatened Ceratophrys stolzmanni (Steindachner, 1882). Engabao is an area intended for livestock production.

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“…Being gape-limited predators, the maximum size of ingested prey increases along with individual size [ 66 ], and large individuals have a more diverse diet through access to larger prey items [ 67 ]. However, large individuals do not disregard small prey organisms [ 45 ], a typical behaviour found in other amphibians [ 65 , 68 ]. As such, we could expect a significant dietary overlap between age-classes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…55% of the adult size; [ 44 ]), and both juveniles and adults are easy to spot when not buried underground, both during the day and at night. Like other members of the family Ceratophryidae, the Pacific horned frog is anurophagous, being able to swallow large vertebrate prey species [ 45 ]. The extremely seasonal environment concentrates the activity of these frogs to a short time period each year, making competition for resources and the agonistic interactions between conspecific individuals likely.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adult—Juvenile interactions and temporal niche partitioning between life-stages in a tropical amphibian

et al. 2020

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Divergence in ecological niche offers organisms the opportunity of exploiting different food and habitat resources, scaling down competition and predation both among species, and within different age or size-classes of the same species. In harsh environments, where abiotic factors determine a clustering of resources during short timespans, competition and predation between organisms is likely to be enhanced. This is the case in tropical dry forests, where amphibians have limited opportunities to feed, their activity being restricted to the short rainy season. One way to maximize resource exploitation while avoiding predation risk is by adopting different diel activity patterns. We tested this hypothesis by comparing activity patterns in adults and recently metamorphosed juveniles of Pacific horned frogs ( Ceratophrys stolzmanni ) during field surveys and in an experimental study. Field surveys showed that the adults are strictly nocturnal, whereas freshly metamorphosed juveniles can be found active above ground at all hours, with a peak activity during daytime. The average body condition index of juveniles found active during the night was higher than that of juveniles found active during the day, suggesting that the weaker individuals may be constrained to being active during the day. On the other hand, in a laboratory experiment, juveniles that were visually exposed to adults moved less than those in the absence of adults. Both field and experimental observations indicate a temporal niche divergence between life stages. The results of the experiment offer support to the hypothesis that the juveniles in this species display an inverse activity pattern compared to adults, which can reduce competitive interactions and predation pressure from the larger conspecifics.

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What does a Pacman eat? Macrophagy and necrophagy in a generalist predator (Ceratophrys stolzmanni)

Cited by 6 publications

References 57 publications

How to recover from a bad start: size at metamorphosis affects growth and survival in a tropical amphibian

How to recover from a bad start: size at metamorphosis affects growth and survival in a tropical amphibian

Herpetofauna of Engabao, Playas Canton, Ecuador, with notes on the occurrence of Ceratoprhys stolzmanni (Steindachner, 1882)

Adult—Juvenile interactions and temporal niche partitioning between life-stages in a tropical amphibian

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