Does background colouration affect the behaviour of tadpoles? An experimental approach with an odonate predator.

Autor: Nomura, F., De Marco, P., Carvalho, A.F.A., Rossa-Feres, D.C.
Předmět:
Zdroj: Ethology Ecology & Evolution; 2013, Vol. 25 Issue 2, p185-198, 14p, 1 Chart, 3 Graphs
Abstrakt: Predation is a primary driver of tadpole assemblages, and the activity rate is a good predictor of the tadpoles' tolerance for predation risk. The conflicting demands between activity and exposure to predation can generate suboptimal behaviours. Because morphological components, such as body colouration, may affect the activity of tadpoles, we predict that environmental features that enhance or match the tadpole colouration should affect their survival or activity rate in the presence of a predator. We tested this prediction experimentally by assessing the mortality rate of tadpoles ofRhinella schneideriandEupemphix nattereriand the active time on two artificial background types: one bright-coloured and one black-coloured. We found no difference in tadpole mortality due to the background type. However,R. schneideritadpoles were more active thanE. nattereritadpoles, and the activity ofR. schneideriwas reduced less in the presence of the predator than that ofE. nattereri. Although the background colouration did not affect the tadpole mortality rate, it was a stimulus that elicited behavioural responses in the tadpoles, leading them to adjust their activity rate to the type of background colour. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
Databáze: Complementary Index
Externí odkaz:
Nepřihlášeným uživatelům se plný text nezobrazuje