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- Title
How to move and when to escape: quantifying intraspecific exploratory and anti-predator behavior in an aposematic poison frog.
- Authors
Klank, Jeremy; Protti-Sánchez, Francesca; Mora-Rojas, Paula; Rowland, Hannah M.; Stynoski, Jennifer L.
- Abstract
Aposematic animals are chemically defended and tend to have bright and conspicuous color patterns that warn predators of the costs of attack. Most research on aposematism focuses on the role that predator cognition has on the evolution of aposematic defenses. Although the behavior of aposematic organisms is likely to be crucial in affecting their survival, it has been less thoroughly investigated. Bolder and more active movement decisions, and a reduced likelihood to respond to perceived threats of predation, should increase the conspicuousness and distinctiveness of aposematic prey to predators, which in turn should enhance their fitness. Here, we developed a laboratory-based framework to study the behavior of poison frogs, which are both conspicuously colored and defended by toxic alkaloids. We designed experiments to quantify boldness, exploratory behavior, movement patterns, and escape behavior (flight initiation distance from an incoming avian predator model) in the strawberry poison frog, Oophaga pumilio, from northeastern Costa Rica. We tested females, non-vocalizing males, and calling males to measure the intraspecific variability in their behavior. Calling males had a larger flight initiation distance than females, and varied more in directional change when moving compared to females. Non-vocalizing males varied more in sinuosity when moving compared to females. We found no differences in boldness or exploratory behavior between the three groups. Our results indicate movement variability within intraspecific groups of a single population in O. pumilio. Additionally, our results suggest plasticity in the escape behavior of calling males, which contrasts with findings from field-based studies. Our framework allowed us to quantify intraspecific differences in some anti-predator behaviors. Combining individual behavioral profiles with field data can provide a standardized comparative approach to understand the ecological and evolutionary consequences of anti-predator behavior within and among species of poison frogs (Abstract in Spanish in the Online Appendix 1).
- Subjects
COSTA Rica; ANTIPREDATOR behavior; DENDROBATIDAE; CURIOSITY; PREDATION; COMPARATIVE method; APOSEMATISM; FROGS
- Publication
Evolutionary Ecology, 2024, Vol 38, Issue 1/2, p175
- ISSN
0269-7653
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s10682-023-10262-4