Microhabitat selection varies by sex and age class in the endangered green and golden bell frog Litoria aurea

Abstract

Although amphibians are one of the most threatened animal groups, little published evidence exists on effective management programs. In order for conservation initiatives to be successful, an understanding of habitat use patterns is required to identify important environmental features. However, habitat use may differ between the different sexes and age classes due to different behavioural and resource requirements. For this study, we compared microhabitat use during the active breeding season among the sexes and age classes in the endangered green and golden bell frog Litoria aurea, a species which has had several failed management programs. We found aquatic vegetation was selected for by every L. aurea class, and should be the focus of future management plans for this species. Females were the only class to select for terrestrial vegetation more than availability. Increasing the amount of terrestrial vegetation around ponds may help encourage female occupancy, and possibly improve management outcomes, as they are typically a limiting resource. Although large rock piles have been used in past L. aurea habitat management, they were selected for by adults and juveniles, but not metamorphs. Therefore, large rocks may not be necessary for captive breeding portions of management initiatives, which typically only involve tadpoles and metamorphs prior to release. The results indicate that the most appropriate management plans should contain a habitat mosaic of various microhabitats, such as a large proportion of aquatic and terrestrial vegetation with patches of bare ground and a small proportion of rocks for basking and shelter. Recognizing differences in microhabitat use patterns between individuals in a population and implementing them into management strategies should be a pivotal step in any conservation plan.

On some factors driving the presence of amphibians in water bodies of the Upper Oka Basin (Central Russia)

“…This result agrees with previous research from other regions: terrestrial habitat factors were found to be especially important in determining the suitability of breeding sites for Rana temporaria in Ireland (Marnell, 1998) and Sweden (Loman & Lardner, 2006). Previous studies have also found the importance of terrestrial habitats for amphibians within conservation programmes (Valdez et al, 2017) and for females of the green and golden bell frog Litoria aurea (Lesson, 1830) (Valdez et al, 2016). The terrestrial vegetation can determine the temperature of water, which plays an important role in amphibian breeding and development (Moore, 1939).…”

Evaluating Movement Patterns and Microhabitat Selection of the Japanese Common Toad (Bufo japonicus formosus) Using Fluorescent Powder Tracking

“…The observed sexual difference may be due to sampling bias. However, Valdez et al (2016) reported that only females actively select for terrestrial vegetation in the golden bell frog (Litoria aurea). In addition to protection from desiccation, terrestrial vegetation may provide opportunities for foraging (Pyke and White, 1996;Pyke and White, 2001) and shelters from predators (Valdez et al, 2016).…”

“…However, Valdez et al (2016) reported that only females actively select for terrestrial vegetation in the golden bell frog (Litoria aurea). In addition to protection from desiccation, terrestrial vegetation may provide opportunities for foraging (Pyke and White, 1996;Pyke and White, 2001) and shelters from predators (Valdez et al, 2016). The preference for terrestrial vegetation is a general trend of many amphibian species (e.g., Pyke and White, 2001;Valdez et al, 2016).…”

“…Favorability of habitat features are likely to vary depending on factors such as physiology (Birchfield and Deter, 2005;Graeter et al, 2008), foraging efficiency (Roberts and Liebgold, 2008), and predator avoidance (Milinski and Heller, 1978;Werner et al, 1983;Gilliam and Fraser, 1987;Lima and Dill, 1990). Habitat preferences may also differ between sexes and age classes due to individual behavioral and resource requirements (Bartelt et al, 2004;Bull, 2006;Valdez et al, 2016).…”

“…Since few studies have been done on amphibians during the non-breeding season (Garnham et al, 2015), our knowledge of movement patterns during the non-breeding season has been limited. Although there have been many previous studies of movement pattern and microhabitat use in Europe (e.g., Pellet and Schmidt, 2005), the United States (e.g., Bartelt et al, 2004;Bull, 2006), and Australia (e.g., Croak et al, 2010;Valdez et al, 2016), only a few have been conducted with Asian amphibians, whether in the breeding season or not.…”