A hot knot of toads: Aggregation provides thermal benefits to metamorphic Andean toads

Espinoza, Robert E.; Quinteros, Andrés Sebastián

doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2007.10.004

Cited by 15 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Aggregations have also been shown to produce thermal advantages in a variety of taxa and circumstances (Ruf & Fiedler 2000; Espinoza & Quinteros 2008; Chapperon & Seuront 2012). Several species of reptiles aggregate during winter, or under other circumstances when there are limited options for maintaining temperatures in the preferred range (White & Lasieski 1971; Graves & Duvall 1987; Shah et al 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

United in adversity: Aridity and cold influence aggregation behaviour in a social lizard, Egernia stokesii

2020

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Sociality has evolved independently many times in a diverse array of animal taxa. While sociality in some invertebrates, birds and mammals is relatively well understood, complex social behaviour in Squamate reptiles is a comparatively recent discovery. The extent to which social behaviour is phylogenetically constrained, or free to respond to environmental conditions is a key question in understanding sociality. We sampled 74 aggregations involving 137 individuals of a social lizard (Egernia stokesii) from 13 sites across a 96 250 km 2 area showing a wide range of environmental conditions. Over all locations, 70% of the lizards were found in aggregations, supporting the previous suggestion that aggregation in this species is phylogenetically constrained. However, the size of aggregations was negatively related to spatial variation in aridity and daily variation in maximum temperature, suggesting that social behaviour also varied in response to harsh environmental conditions. Lizards aggregated more in arid areas and on cold days. Our results show that it is overly simplistic to regard social behaviour in E. stokesii as either phylogenetically constrained or environmentally determined. A more nuanced appreciation of the extent to which social behaviour is free to vary in response to environmental conditions improves our understanding of social behaviour in Squamate reptiles.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

United in adversity: Aridity and cold influence aggregation behaviour in a social lizard, Egernia stokesii

2020

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“…Thirdly, harsh environmental conditions may favour social attraction at the invasion front because grouping with conspecifics acts as a physiological buffer. For example, grouping reduces the surface area exposed to the external environment, thereby reducing rates of heating and cooling (as in Andean toads R. spinulosa [20]) and/or reducing evaporative water loss. Thermal and hydric conditions vary substantially across the cane toads' invasion range from tropical areas in Queensland and Hawai'i to the seasonally dry, monsoonal invasion front in Western Australia.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The loneliness of the long-distance toad: invasion history and social attraction in cane toads ( Rhinella marina )

et al. 2017

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Individuals at the leading edge of a biological invasion constantly encounter novel environments. These pioneers may benefit from increased social attraction, because low population densities reduce competition and risks of pathogen transfer, and increase benefits of information transfer. In standardized trials, cane toads () from invasion-front populations approached conspecifics more often, and spent more time close to them, than did conspecifics from high-density, long-colonized populations.

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“…Information about the species and the studied populations R. spinulosa (Anura: Bufonidae) is a species with a wide geographic distribution; it extends from the Altiplano of Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru to central Chile (331S); it lives in Altiplano and Andean environments (Cei, 1962;Veloso and Navarro, 1988;Espinoza and Quinteros, 2008). Its physiological tolerance to water and temperature stress allows it to live from 1000 to 4600 m (Ruiz et al, 1989;Lambrinos and Kleier, 2003;Espinoza and Quinteros, 2008). The species presents a high degree of morphological variability in populations of different altitudes and latitudes (M endez et al, 2004).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Divergence in morphometric and life history traits in two thermally contrasting Andean populations of Rhinella spinulosa (Anura: Bufonidae)

Méndez

Correa-Solis

2009

Journal of Thermal Biology

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A hot knot of toads: Aggregation provides thermal benefits to metamorphic Andean toads

Cited by 15 publications

References 43 publications

United in adversity: Aridity and cold influence aggregation behaviour in a social lizard, Egernia stokesii

United in adversity: Aridity and cold influence aggregation behaviour in a social lizard, Egernia stokesii

The loneliness of the long-distance toad: invasion history and social attraction in cane toads ( Rhinella marina )

Divergence in morphometric and life history traits in two thermally contrasting Andean populations of Rhinella spinulosa (Anura: Bufonidae)

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