Locomotor performance in a running toad: roles of morphology, sex and agrosystem versus natural habitat

Zamora‐Camacho, Francisco Javier

doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blx147

Cited by 23 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 89 publications

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“…Firstly, hindlimb length was positively related to jump performance. This result matches others in jumping (Choi, Han Shim, & Ricklefs, ; Johansson, Lederer, & Lind, ) and running anurans (Zamora‐Camacho, ), in which longer hindlimbs favour locomotor performance, and even dispersal (Phillips, Brown, Webb, & Shine, ), probably due to larger muscles (James et al, ). Corpulence showed a positive relationship with jump performance.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Failed predator attacks have detrimental effects on antipredatory capabilities through developmental plasticity in Pelobates cultripes toads

Zamora‐Camacho

Aragón

2019

Functional Ecology

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How predation events experienced by preys can shape phenotypic traits through the ontogenetic development of the interacting species should be a key issue in Evolutionary and Conservation Biology. Locomotor performance plays a fundamental role on the fitness of many animals, mainly because it enhances ability to fleeing from predators. Predators represent indeed a capital selective force on prey, mainly because they end prey life. However, predators may also damage prey by other means, such as injuries caused by failed attacks. This damage can severely affect locomotion, among several other aspects of prey fitness. In the case of anuran tadpoles, failed predator attacks often result in injured tails, which reduces swimming performance. However, little is known about lasting effects of those failed attacks on fleeing capabilities after metamorphosis. In this work, we clipped 55% tail length of pre‐tail‐resorption stage anaesthetized larval Pelobates cultripes toads, and compared metamorph hindlimb length and jump distance with metamorphs resulting from anaesthetized and non‐anaesthetized non‐clipped controls. Previous findings showed that this treatment produced metamorphs with reduced body condition. Results herein suggest that partial tail loss in tadpoles diminishes jumping performance of resultant metamorphs. This effect is likely a consequence of tail‐clipped tadpoles developing shorter hindlimbs as metamorphs, which is parallel to their reduced body condition. Therefore, predator attacks in the tail may be less potentially mortal than those in the head and body, but have costs in terms of an efficient antipredatory response that persist in post‐metamorphic stage. This effect might compromise metamorph ability to survive subsequent predator attacks.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Failed predator attacks have detrimental effects on antipredatory capabilities through developmental plasticity in Pelobates cultripes toads

Zamora‐Camacho

Aragón

2019

Functional Ecology

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“…The limited predictive ability of maximal jump performance on movement potential also indicates that we need to move away from laboratory‐based performance measures into realistic movement scenarios or in situ animal tracking (e.g., Cline & Hunter, ; Ramírez et al, ; Roe & Grayson, ; Zamora‐Camacho, ). Performance measures have an important role as proxies for fitness in controlled studies on morphology and physiology (Pough, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…in a biological database of European amphibians, 26 species of anurans (52%) and 23 species or urodeles (63.8%) lacked movement data (Trochet et al, 2014). Conservation planning for any data deficient species would require managers to assume similar responses to amphibians more generally (Woltz, Gibbs, & Ducey, 2008 The limited predictive ability of maximal jump performance on movement potential also indicates that we need to move away from laboratory-based performance measures into realistic movement scenarios or in situ animal tracking (e.g., Cline & Hunter, 2014Ramírez et al, 2017;Roe & Grayson, 2008;Zamora-Camacho, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The integrative effects of behavior and morphology on amphibian movement

Bredeweg

Morzillo

Thurman

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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Animal movement and dispersal are key factors in population dynamics and support complex ecosystem processes like cross‐boundary subsidies. Juvenile dispersal is an important mechanism for many species and often involves navigation in unfamiliar habitats. For species that metamorphose, such as amphibians, this transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments involves the growth and use of new morphological traits (e.g., legs). These traits strongly impact the fundamental ability of an organism to move in novel landscapes, but innate behaviors can regulate choices that result in the realized movements expressed. By assessing the integrative role of morphology and behavior, we can improve our understanding of juvenile movement, particularly in understudied organisms like amphibians. We assessed the roles of morphological (snout‐vent length and relative leg length) and performance (maximal jump distance) traits in shaping the free movement paths, measured through fluorescent powder tracking, in three anuran species, Pacific treefrog (Hyliola regilla), Western toad (Anaxyrus boreas), and Cascades frog (Rana cascadae). We standardized the measurement of these traits to compare the relative role of species' innate differences versus physical traits in shaping movement. Innate differences, captured by species identity, were the most significant factor influencing movement paths via total movement distance and path sinuosity. Relative leg length was an important contributor but significantly interacted with species identity. Maximal jump performance, which was significantly predicted by morphological traits, was not an important factor in movement behavior relative to species identity. The importance of species identity and associated behavioral differences in realized movement provide evidence for inherent species differences being central to the dispersal and movement of these species. This behavior may stem from niche partitioning of these sympatric species, yet it also calls into question assumptions generalizing anuran movement behavior. These species‐level effects are important in framing differences as past research is applied in management planning.

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“…Hindlimb length was similar in both sexes. In other anurans, it is greater in males than in females, which is related to a better locomotor performance of males (Herrel et al , ; Zamora‐Camacho, ). Contrary to our expectations, spade length was similar between sexes and had no effect on burrowing depth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Predator kairomones affect amphibian antipredator behavior in general (Zamora‐Camacho, García‐Astilleros & Aragón, ) and hiding behavior in particular (Winandy & Denoël, ). Also, whole‐organism performance often relates negatively to body size (Marvin, ) and positively to morphology of the body structures responsible for it, in other anurans (Zamora‐Camacho, ) and also in this model species (Zamora‐Camacho & Aragón, ), so we studied whether burrowing depth had the expected negative relationship with body mass and SVL and a positive relationship hindlimb length and spade length. Selective pressures that favor whole‐organism performance are usually greater in males, which is mirrored by a greater development of the morphological structures responsible for performance and improved performance itself as compared with females (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The roles of sex and morphology in burrowing depth of Iberian spadefoot toads in different biotic and abiotic environments

2019

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Hiding behavior is key for most animals’ fitness, but it entails costs that must be balanced with benefits. Most research on this potential trade‐off focuses on hiding time. However, other features that might mirror an actual energy investment on hiding behavior, such as burrowing depth, have long been neglected. In this work, we examined energy‐demanding burrowing behavior of Iberian spadefoot toads (Pelobates cultripes), which hide in burrows they dig with the aid of a hard spade on each hindlimb. Namely, we tested whether toads increased burrowing depth as a response to soil dryness and predator kairomones, in search for subterranean humidity and predator avoidance, respectively. To do so, we measured burrowing depth of adult toads under three different treatments in a repeated‐measures design: damp sand, dry sand and sand with boar predator kairomones. We also checked potential effects of sex and morphology (snout–vent length, body mass, hindlimb length and spade length) on burrowing depth. Morphometric variables measured were not good predictors of burrowing depth: Mainly, body mass showed a negative relationship with burrowing depth. However, despite their greater body mass, females burrowed deeper than males in the damp sand treatment. Albeit, contradicting our hypothesis, males did not respond to the presence of predator kairomones, while females reduced their burrowing depth. This result could be a consequence of predator‐induced stress affecting burrowing ability. Also, both females and males burrowed shallower in the dry‐sand treatment than in the others, which could be due to substrate instability or to dehydration.

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Locomotor performance in a running toad: roles of morphology, sex and agrosystem versus natural habitat

Cited by 23 publications

References 89 publications

Failed predator attacks have detrimental effects on antipredatory capabilities through developmental plasticity in Pelobates cultripes toads

Failed predator attacks have detrimental effects on antipredatory capabilities through developmental plasticity in Pelobates cultripes toads

The integrative effects of behavior and morphology on amphibian movement

The roles of sex and morphology in burrowing depth of Iberian spadefoot toads in different biotic and abiotic environments

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