1
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Wu NC, Alton L, Bovo RP, Carey N, Currie SE, Lighton JRB, McKechnie AE, Pottier P, Rossi G, White CR, Levesque DL. Reporting guidelines for terrestrial respirometry: Building openness, transparency of metabolic rate and evaporative water loss data. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2024; 296:111688. [PMID: 38944270 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.111688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Respirometry is an important tool for understanding whole-animal energy and water balance in relation to the environment. Consequently, the growing number of studies using respirometry over the last decade warrants reliable reporting and data sharing for effective dissemination and research synthesis. We provide a checklist guideline on five key sections to facilitate the transparency, reproducibility, and replicability of respirometry studies: 1) materials, set up, plumbing, 2) subject conditions/maintenance, 3) measurement conditions, 4) data processing, and 5) data reporting and statistics, each with explanations and example studies. Transparency in reporting and data availability has benefits on multiple fronts. Authors can use this checklist to design and report on their study, and reviewers and editors can use the checklist to assess the reporting quality of the manuscripts they review. Improved standards for reporting will enhance the value of primary studies and will greatly facilitate the ability to carry out higher quality research syntheses to address ecological and evolutionary theories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas C Wu
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, New South Wales 2753, Australia.
| | - Lesley Alton
- Centre for Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia. https://twitter.com/lesley_alton
| | - Rafael P Bovo
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States. https://twitter.com/bovo_rp
| | - Nicholas Carey
- Marine Directorate for the Scottish Government, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Shannon E Currie
- Institute for Cell and Systems Biology, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Plz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany; School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. https://twitter.com/batsinthbelfry
| | - John R B Lighton
- Sable Systems International, North Las Vegas, NV, United States. https://twitter.com/SableSys
| | - Andrew E McKechnie
- South African Research Chair in Conservation Physiology, South African National Biodiversity Institute, South Africa; DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Patrice Pottier
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. https://twitter.com/PatriceEcoEvo
| | - Giulia Rossi
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. https://twitter.com/giuliasrossi
| | - Craig R White
- Centre for Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Danielle L Levesque
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States. https://twitter.com/dl_levesque
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2
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Riddell EA, Burger IJ, Muñoz MM, Weaver SJ, Womack MC. Amphibians exhibit extremely high hydric costs of respiration. Integr Comp Biol 2024:icae053. [PMID: 38802122 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icae053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Terrestrial environments pose many challenges to organisms, but perhaps one of the greatest is the need to breathe while maintaining water balance. Breathing air requires thin, moist respiratory surfaces, and thus the conditions necessary for gas exchange are also responsible for high rates of water loss that lead to desiccation. Across the diversity of terrestrial life, water loss acts as a universal cost of gas exchange and thus imposes limits on respiration. Amphibians are known for being vulnerable to rapid desiccation, in part because they rely on thin, permeable skin for cutaneous respiration. Yet we have a limited understanding of the relationship between water loss and gas exchange within and among amphibian species. In this study, we evaluated the hydric costs of respiration in amphibians using the transpiration ratio, which is defined as the ratio of water loss (mol H2O d-1) to gas uptake (mol O2 d-1). A high ratio suggests greater hydric costs relative to the amount of gas uptake. We compared the transpiration ratio of amphibians with that of other terrestrial organisms to determine if amphibians had greater hydric costs of gas uptake relative to plants, insects, birds, and mammals. We also evaluated the effects of temperature, humidity, and body mass on the transpiration ratio both within and among amphibian species. We found that hydric costs of respiration in amphibians were two to four orders of magnitude higher than the hydric costs of plants, insects, birds, and mammals. We also discovered that larger amphibians had lower hydric costs than smaller amphibians, at both the species- and individual-level. Amphibians also reduced the hydric costs of respiration at warm temperatures, potentially reflecting adaptive strategies to avoid dehydration while also meeting the demands of higher metabolic rates. Our results suggest that cutaneous respiration is an inefficient mode of respiration that produces the highest hydric costs of respiration yet to be measured in terrestrial plants and animals. Yet, amphibians largely avoid these costs by selecting aquatic or moist environments, which may facilitate more independent evolution of water loss and gas exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric A Riddell
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC 27599
| | - Isabella J Burger
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC 27599
| | - Martha M Muñoz
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Savannah J Weaver
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC 27599
| | - Molly C Womack
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322
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3
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Veselka AJ, Aponte‐Gutiérrez A, Medina‐Báez OA, Watling JI. Upper thermal limits predict herpetofaunal responses to forest edge and cover. Biotropica 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Veselka
- Department of Biology John Carroll University University Heights Ohio USA
| | - Andrés Aponte‐Gutiérrez
- Grupo de Caracterización Genética e Inmunología, Departamento de Biología Universidad Nacional de Colombia Bogotá Colombia
| | | | - James I. Watling
- Department of Biology John Carroll University University Heights Ohio USA
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4
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Natchev N, Koynova T, Tachev K, Doichev D, Marinova P, Velkova V, Jablonski D. Temperature regulation in the Balkan spadefoot ( Pelobates balcanicus Karaman, 1928) at the beginning of nocturnal activity. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13647. [PMID: 35860047 PMCID: PMC9291013 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
On land, the amphibians interact with the environment in a complex way-even small changes in the physiological conditions may significantly impact the behaviour and vice versa. In ectothermic tetrapods, the transition from inactive to active phase may be related to important changes in their thermal status. We studied the thermal ecology of adult Balkan spadefoots (Pelobates balcanicus Karaman, 1928) in northeastern Bulgaria. These toads spend the daytime buried between 10 and 15 cm in sandy substrates, and emerge after sunset. On the substrate, their thermal energy exchange is defined by the absence of heat flow from the sun. Secondary heat sources, like stored heat and infrared radiation from the soil play an important role for the thermal balance of the active spadefoot toads. At the beginning of their daily activity, we measured substrate temperature (at a depth of 11-12 cm), toad's surface body temperature, and also provided thermal profiles of the animals and the substrate surface in their microhabitats. In animals which recently emerged from the substrate, the temperature was comparatively higher and was closer to that of the subsoil on the spot. After that, body temperature decreased rapidly and continued to change slowly, in correlation with air temperature. We detected a temperature gradient on the dorsal surface of the toads. On the basis of our measurements and additional data, we discuss the eventual role of air humidity and the effects of surface and skin water evaporation on the water balance and activity of the investigated toads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay Natchev
- Shumen University, Shumen, Bulgaria
- University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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5
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Senzano LM, Bovo RP, Andrade DV. Empirical estimation of skin resistance to water loss in amphibians: agar evaluation as a non-resistance model to evaporation. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:276192. [PMID: 35818822 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Total resistance (RT) to evaporative water loss (EWL) in amphibians is given by the sum of the boundary layer (rb) and the skin resistance (rs). Thus, rs can be determined if the rb component is defined (rs=RT - rb). The use of agar models has become the standard technique to estimate rb under the assumption that agar surface imposes no barrier to evaporation (rs=0). We evaluated this assumption by determining EWL rates and rb values from exposed surfaces of free water, a physiological solution mimicking the osmotic properties of a generalized amphibian, and agar gels prepared at various concentrations either using water or physiological solution as diluent. Water evaporation was affected by both, the presence of solutes and agar concentration. Models prepared with agar at 5% concentration in water provided the most practical and appropriate proxy for the estimation of rb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M Senzano
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael P Bovo
- Departmento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Denis V Andrade
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
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6
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Akat E, Yenmiş M, Pombal MA, Molist P, Megías M, Arman S, Veselỳ M, Anderson R, Ayaz D. Comparison of Vertebrate Skin Structure at Class Level: A Review. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2022; 305:3543-3608. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.24908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Esra Akat
- Ege University, Faculty of Science, Biology Department Bornova, İzmir Turkey
| | - Melodi Yenmiş
- Ege University, Faculty of Science, Biology Department Bornova, İzmir Turkey
| | - Manuel A. Pombal
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Funcional e Ciencias da Saúde, Facultade de Bioloxía‐IBIV Vigo, España
| | - Pilar Molist
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Funcional e Ciencias da Saúde, Facultade de Bioloxía‐IBIV Vigo, España
| | - Manuel Megías
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Funcional e Ciencias da Saúde, Facultade de Bioloxía‐IBIV Vigo, España
| | - Sezgi Arman
- Sakarya University, Faculty of Science and Letters, Biology Department Sakarya Turkey
| | - Milan Veselỳ
- Palacky University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology Olomouc Czechia
| | - Rodolfo Anderson
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista São Paulo Brazil
| | - Dinçer Ayaz
- Ege University, Faculty of Science, Biology Department Bornova, İzmir Turkey
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7
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Lemenager LA, Tracy CR, Christian KA, Tracy CR. Physiological control of water exchange in anurans. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8597. [PMID: 35169455 PMCID: PMC8831224 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on water exchange in frogs has historically assumed that blood osmotic potential drives water exchange between a frog and its environment, but here we show that the "seat patch" (the primary site of water exchange in many anurans), or other sites of cutaneous water uptake, act as an anatomic "compartment" with a water potential controlled separately from water potential of the blood, and the water potential of that compartment can be the driver of water exchange between the animal and its environment. We studied six frog species (Xenopus laevis, Rana pipiens, R. catesbeiana, Bufo boreas, Pseudacris cadaverina, and P. regilla) differing in ecological relationships to environmental water. We inferred the water potentials of seat patches from water exchanges by frogs in sucrose solutions ranging in water potential from 0 to 1000-kPa. Terrestrial and arboreal species had seat patch water potentials that were more negative than the water potentials of more aquatic species, and their seat patch water potentials were similar to the water potential of their blood, but the water potentials of venters of the more aquatic species were different from (and less negative than) the water potentials of their blood. These findings indicate that there are physiological mechanisms among frog species that can be used to control water potential at the sites of cutaneous water uptake, and that some frogs may be able to adjust the hydric conductance of their skin when they are absorbing water from very dilute solutions. Largely unexplored mechanisms involving aquaporins are likely responsible for adjustments in hydric conductance, which in turn, allow control of water potential at sites of cutaneous water uptake among species differing in ecological habit and the observed disequilibrium between sites of cutaneous water uptake and blood water potential in more aquatic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee A. Lemenager
- Department of BiologyUniversity of NevadaRenoNevadaUSA
- Organic ProgramWashington State Department of AgricultureOlympiaWashingtonUSA
| | - Christopher R. Tracy
- Department of BiologyCalifornia State University FullertonFullertonCaliforniaUSA
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin UniversityDarwinNorthern TerritoryAustralia
- Philip L. Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research CenterUniversity of California RiversideIndian WellsCaliforniaUSA
| | - Keith A. Christian
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin UniversityDarwinNorthern TerritoryAustralia
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8
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Torralvo K, Fraga R, Lima AP, Dayrell J, Magnusson WE. Environmental filtering and deforestation shape frog assemblages in Amazonia: An empirical approach assessing species abundances and functional traits. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Torralvo
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
| | - Rafael Fraga
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Comportamento Animal Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará Santarém Brazil
| | - Albertina P. Lima
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
| | - Jussara Dayrell
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
| | - William E. Magnusson
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
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9
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Bardua C, Fabre AC, Clavel J, Bon M, Das K, Stanley EL, Blackburn DC, Goswami A. Size, microhabitat, and loss of larval feeding drive cranial diversification in frogs. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2503. [PMID: 33947859 PMCID: PMC8096824 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22792-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Habitat is one of the most important factors shaping organismal morphology, but it may vary across life history stages. Ontogenetic shifts in ecology may introduce antagonistic selection that constrains adult phenotype, particularly with ecologically distinct developmental phases such as the free-living, feeding larval stage of many frogs (Lissamphibia: Anura). We test the relative influences of developmental and ecological factors on the diversification of adult skull morphology with a detailed analysis of 15 individual cranial regions across 173 anuran species, representing every extant family. Skull size, adult microhabitat, larval feeding, and ossification timing are all significant factors shaping aspects of cranial evolution in frogs, with late-ossifying elements showing the greatest disparity and fastest evolutionary rates. Size and microhabitat show the strongest effects on cranial shape, and we identify a "large size-wide skull" pattern of anuran, and possibly amphibian, evolutionary allometry. Fossorial and aquatic microhabitats occupy distinct regions of morphospace and display fast evolution and high disparity. Taxa with and without feeding larvae do not notably differ in cranial morphology. However, loss of an actively feeding larval stage is associated with higher evolutionary rates and disparity, suggesting that functional pressures experienced earlier in ontogeny significantly impact adult morphological evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Bardua
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anne-Claire Fabre
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Julien Clavel
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Margot Bon
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Kalpana Das
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institut für Evolutions und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin, Germany
| | - Edward L Stanley
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - David C Blackburn
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Anjali Goswami
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK.
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10
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Kosmala GK, Brown GP, Shine R, Christian K. Skin resistance to water gain and loss has changed in cane toads ( Rhinella marina) during their Australian invasion. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:13071-13079. [PMID: 33304517 PMCID: PMC7713918 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The water-permeable skin of amphibians renders them highly sensitive to climatic conditions, and interspecific correlations between environmental moisture levels and rates of water exchange across the skin suggest that natural selection adapts hydroregulatory mechanisms to local challenges. How quickly can such mechanisms shift when a species encounters novel moisture regimes? Cutaneous resistance to water loss and gain in wild-caught cane toads (Rhinella marina) from Brazil, USA (Hawai'i) and Australia exhibited strong geographic variation. Cutaneous resistance was low in native-range (Brazilian) toads and in Hawai'ian populations (where toads were introduced in 1932) but significantly higher in toads from eastern Australia (where toads were introduced in 1935). Toads from recently invaded areas in western Australia exhibited cutaneous resistance to water loss similar to the native-range populations, possibly because toads are restricted to moist sites within this highly arid landscape. Rates of rehydration exhibited significant but less extreme geographic variation, being higher in the native range than in invaded regions. Thus, in less than a century, cane toads invading areas that impose different climatic challenges have diverged in the capacity for hydroregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia K. Kosmala
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Gregory P. Brown
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Richard Shine
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Keith Christian
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin UniversityDarwinNTAustralia
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11
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Guevara-Molina EC, Gomes FR, Camacho A. Effects of dehydration on thermoregulatory behavior and thermal tolerance limits of Rana catesbeiana ( ). J Therm Biol 2020; 93:102721. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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12
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Rowley JJL, Callaghan CT, Cornwell WK. Widespread short‐term persistence of frog species after the 2019–2020 bushfires in eastern Australia revealed by citizen science. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jodi J. L. Rowley
- Australian Museum Research Institute; Australian Museum Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Centre for Ecosystem Science; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Corey T. Callaghan
- Centre for Ecosystem Science; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Ecology & Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - William K. Cornwell
- Centre for Ecosystem Science; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Ecology & Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
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13
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Díaz-Ricaurte JC, Serrano FC, Guevara-Molina EC, Araujo C, Martins M. Does behavioral thermal tolerance predict distribution pattern and habitat use in two sympatric Neotropical frogs? PLoS One 2020; 15:e0239485. [PMID: 32960914 PMCID: PMC7508379 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental temperatures are a major constraint on ectotherm abundance, influencing their distribution and natural history. Comparing thermal tolerances with environmental temperatures is a simple way to estimate thermal constraints on species distributions. We investigate the potential effects of behavioral thermal tolerance (i. e. Voluntary Thermal Maximum, VTMax) on anuran local (habitat) and regional distribution patterns and associated behavioral responses. We tested for differences in Voluntary Thermal Maximum (VTMax) of two sympatric frog species of the genus Physalaemus in the Cerrado. We mapped the difference between VTMax and maximum daily temperature (VTMax-ETMax) and compared the abundance in open and non-open habitats for both species. Physalaemus nattereri had a significantly higher VTMax than P. cuvieri. For P. nattereri, the model including only period of day was chosen as the best to explain variation in the VTMax while for P. cuvieri, the null model was the best model. At the regional scale, VTMax-ETMax values were significantly different between species, with P. nattereri mostly found in localities with maximum temperatures below its VTMax and P. cuvieri showing the reverse pattern. Regarding habitat use, P. cuvieri was in general more abundant in open than in non-open habitats, whereas P. nattereri was similarly abundant in these habitats. This difference seems to reflect their distribution patterns: P. cuvieri is more abundant in open and warmer habitats and occurs mostly in warmer areas in relation to its VTMax, whereas P. nattereri tends to be abundant in both open and non-open (and cooler) areas and occurs mostly in cooler areas regarding its VTMax. Our study indicates that differences in behavioral thermal tolerance may be important in shaping local and regional distribution patterns. Furthermore, small-scale habitat use might reveal a link between behavioral thermal tolerance and natural history strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan C. Díaz-Ricaurte
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Aplicada, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
- Semillero de Investigación en Ecofisiología y Biogeografía de Vertebrados, Grupo de investigación en Biodiversidad y Desarrollo Amazónico (BYDA), Programa de Biología, Universidad de la Amazonia, Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Filipe C. Serrano
- Semillero de Investigación en Ecofisiología y Biogeografía de Vertebrados, Grupo de investigación en Biodiversidad y Desarrollo Amazónico (BYDA), Programa de Biología, Universidad de la Amazonia, Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia
| | | | - Cybele Araujo
- Instituto Florestal, Seção de Animais Silvestres, Horto Florestal, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcio Martins
- Semillero de Investigación en Ecofisiología y Biogeografía de Vertebrados, Grupo de investigación en Biodiversidad y Desarrollo Amazónico (BYDA), Programa de Biología, Universidad de la Amazonia, Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia
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14
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Rudin-Bitterli TS, Evans JP, Mitchell NJ. Geographic variation in adult and embryonic desiccation tolerance in a terrestrial-breeding frog. Evolution 2020; 74:1186-1199. [PMID: 32255513 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Intraspecific variation in the ability of individuals to tolerate environmental perturbations is often neglected when considering the impacts of climate change. Yet this information is potentially crucial for mitigating deleterious effects of climate change on threatened species. Here we assessed patterns of intraspecific variation in desiccation tolerance in the frog Pseudophryne guentheri, a terrestrial-breeding species experiencing a drying climate. Adult frogs were collected from six populations across a rainfall gradient and their dehydration and rehydration rates were assessed. We also compared desiccation tolerance of embryos and hatchlings originating from within-population parental crosses from four of the populations. Embryos were reared on soil at three soil-water potentials and their desiccation tolerance was assessed across a range of traits. We found significant and strong patterns of intraspecific variation in almost all traits, both in adults and first-generation offspring. Adult frogs exhibited clinal variation in their water balance responses, with populations from drier sites both dehydrating and rehydrating more slowly compared to frogs from more mesic sites. Similarly, desiccation tolerance of first-generation offspring was significantly greater in populations from xeric sites. Our findings suggest that populations within this species will respond differently to the regional reduction in rainfall predicted by climate change models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tabitha Silja Rudin-Bitterli
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia.,Centre for Evolutionary Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Jonathan Paul Evans
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia.,Centre for Evolutionary Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Nicola Jane Mitchell
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
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15
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Guo C, Gao S, Krzton A, Zhang L. Geographic body size variation of a tropical anuran: effects of water deficit and precipitation seasonality on Asian common toad from southern Asia. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:208. [PMID: 31706264 PMCID: PMC6842474 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1531-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Two previous studies on interspecific body size variation of anurans found that the key drivers of variation are the species’ lifestyles and the environments that they live in. To examine whether those findings apply at the intraspecific level, we conducted a study of the Asian common toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus), a terrestrial anuran distributed in tropical regions. The body size of toads from 15 locations, covering the majority of their geographic range, and local environmental data were summarized from published literature. We used a model selection process based on an information-theoretic approach to examine the relationship between toad body size and those environmental parameters. Results We found a positive correlation between the body size of the Asian common toad and the water deficit gradient, but no linkage between body size and temperature-related parameters. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between the seasonality of precipitation and body size of females from different sampled populations. Conclusions As a terrestrial anuran, the Asian common toad should experience greater pressure from environmental fluctuations than aquatic species. It is mainly distributed in tropical regions where temperatures are generally warm and stable, but water availability fluctuates. Therefore, while thermal gradients are not strong enough to generate selection pressure on body size, the moisture gradient is strong enough to select for larger size in both males and females in dryer regions. Larger body size supports more efficient water conservation, a pattern in accordance with the prediction that lifestyles of different species and their local habitats determine the relationship between body size and environment. In addition, larger females occur in regions with greater seasonality in precipitation, which may happen because larger females can afford greater reproductive output in a limited reproductive season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Guo
- Department of Zoology, College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, Hunan, China.
| | - Shuai Gao
- Department of Zoology, College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, Hunan, China
| | - Ali Krzton
- Department of Research and Instruction, RBD Library, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Long Zhang
- Department of Zoology, College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, Hunan, China
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16
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Mokhatla M, Measey J, Smit B. The role of ambient temperature and body mass on body temperature, standard metabolic rate and evaporative water loss in southern African anurans of different habitat specialisation. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7885. [PMID: 31660269 PMCID: PMC6814148 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Temperature and water availability are two of the most important variables affecting all aspects of an anuran’s key physiological processes such as body temperature (Tb), evaporative water loss (EWL) and standard metabolic rate (SMR). Since anurans display pronounced sexual dimorphism, evidence suggests that these processes are further influenced by other factors such as vapour pressure deficit (VPD), sex and body mass (Mb). However, a limited number of studies have tested the generality of these results across a wide range of ecologically relevant ambient temperatures (Ta), while taking habitat use into account. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of Ta on Tb, whole-animal EWL and whole-animal SMR in three wild caught African anuran species with different ecological specialisations: the principally aquatic African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), stream-breeding common river frog (Amietia delalandii), and the largely terrestrial raucous toad (Sclerophrys capensis). Experiments were conducted at a range of test temperatures (5–35 °C, at 5 °C increments). We found that VPD better predicted rates of EWL than Ta in two of the three species considered. Moreover, we found that Tb, whole-animal EWL and whole-animal SMR increased with increasing Ta, while Tb increased with increasing Mb in A. delalandii and S. capensis but not in X. laevis. Whole-animal SMR increased with increasing Mb in S. capensis only. We did not find any significant effect of VPD, Mb or sex on whole-animal EWL within species. Lastly, Mb did not influence Tb, whole-animal SMR and EWL in the principally aquatic X. laevis. These results suggest that Mb may not have the same effect on key physiological variables, and that the influence of Mb may also depend on the species ecological specialisation. Thus, the generality of Mb as an important factor should be taken in the context of both physiology and species habitat specialisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohlamatsane Mokhatla
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa.,Scientific Services, South African National Parks, Sedgefield, South Africa
| | - John Measey
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Ben Smit
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.,Department Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
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17
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Cicchino AS, Cairns NA, Bulté G, Lougheed SC. High and dry: Trade-off in arboreal calling in a treefrog mediated by local environment. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Trade-offs shaping behavioral variation are often influenced by the environment. We investigated the role that the environment plays in mediating trade-offs using a widespread frog with a conspicuous mating display, Pseudacris crucifer. We first demonstrated, using playback and desiccation experiments, that calling site selection involves a trade-off between sound transmission and desiccation. We then determined the influence of local environmental conditions on the intensity of the trade-off by examining range-wide behavioral and environmental data. We showed that the benefit of improved call transmission is positively influenced by vegetation density and ground cover. Behavioral data are consistent with this relationship: sites with a greater transmission benefit have increased prevalence of arboreally calling males. We also found that the prevalence of arboreal calling behavior increases with relative humidity and air temperature, suggesting an influence of these environmental variables on the desiccation cost of arboreal calling. This study provides a clear example of the role of the environment in mediating trade-off intensities and shaping critical behavioral traits.
Local environment mediates the intensity of a trade-off associated with arboreal calling behavior in a treefrog. Combining observational and experimental approaches, we show that arboreal calling behavior increases the transmission of a mating call while potentially subjecting individuals to a rate of desiccation six times greater than terrestrial calling. Local environmental conditions influence both the benefit and the cost of this trade-off, subjecting different populations to varying trade-off intensities and shaping arboreal calling behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda S Cicchino
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nicholas A Cairns
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Grégory Bulté
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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18
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Riddell EA, Roback EY, Wells CE, Zamudio KR, Sears MW. Thermal cues drive plasticity of desiccation resistance in montane salamanders with implications for climate change. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4091. [PMID: 31501425 PMCID: PMC6733842 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11990-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Organisms rely upon external cues to avoid detrimental conditions during environmental change. Rapid water loss, or desiccation, is a universal threat for terrestrial plants and animals, especially under climate change, but the cues that facilitate plastic responses to avoid desiccation are unclear. We integrate acclimation experiments with gene expression analyses to identify the cues that regulate resistance to water loss at the physiological and regulatory level in a montane salamander (Plethodon metcalfi). Here we show that temperature is an important cue for developing a desiccation-resistant phenotype and might act as a reliable cue for organisms across the globe. Gene expression analyses consistently identify regulation of stem cell differentiation and embryonic development of vasculature. The temperature-sensitive blood vessel development suggests that salamanders regulate water loss through the regression and regeneration of capillary beds in the skin, indicating that tissue regeneration may be used for physiological purposes beyond replacing lost limbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric A Riddell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 132 Long Hall, Clemson, SC, 29631, USA.
| | - Emma Y Roback
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 132 Long Hall, Clemson, SC, 29631, USA.,Biology Department, Grinnell College, 1116 Eighth Ave, Grinnell, IA, 50112, USA
| | - Christina E Wells
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 132 Long Hall, Clemson, SC, 29631, USA
| | - Kelly R Zamudio
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, E145 Corson Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Michael W Sears
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 132 Long Hall, Clemson, SC, 29631, USA
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19
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Gallo AC, Brasileiro CA, DE Barros FC, DE Carvalho JE. Thermal and salinity effects on locomotor performance of Thoropa taophora tadpoles (Anura, Cycloramphidae). Integr Zool 2019; 15:40-54. [PMID: 31149773 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
It is well known that environmental temperature influences several biological functions of ectotherms, notably in amphibians. The high permeability of anuran skin, associated with the effect of elevated environmental temperature, potentiates the dehydration process and this combination may restrict locomotor performance. Thoropa taophora is an endemic species from the Atlantic Rainforest whose tadpoles are semiterrestrial and predominantly diurnal, and are found in rocky seashores where they are exposed to sea spray and high temperatures. In this study we investigated how temperature and salinity conditions affect the locomotor performance in Thoropa taophora tadpoles. We also assessed how different osmotic concentrations affect the activity of the metabolic pathways that support muscle function. We measured the sprint speed of tadpoles of various sizes at different temperatures and salinities in the field. We also measured the activity of the enzymes pyruvate kinase (PK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and citrate synthase (CS) in different temperatures and osmotic concentrations, and calculated the thermal sensitivity and the activity constants for each osmolality. Our results showed that, in general, sprint speed decreased with increasing temperature and salinity. However, whereas the effect of increased salinity was similar in smaller and larger tadpoles, increased temperature had a higher negative impact on sprint speed of larger tadpoles, thus indicating low thermal sensitivity of small tadpoles. PK and LDH thermal sensitivities and LDH constant of activity decreased as the osmolality increased. In conclusion, the locomotor capacity of tadpoles was decreased by temperature and salinity, which may be related to a decrease in anaerobic metabolism both in terms of sensitivity and total energy turnover through enzymatic activity. We discuss the ecological consequences, including the potential impacts on predator escape behavior promoted by changes in metabolism and locomotor performance in an early stage of development of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio C Gallo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cinthia A Brasileiro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fábio Cury DE Barros
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José Eduardo DE Carvalho
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
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20
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Scheun J, Greeff D, Medger K, Ganswindt A. Validating the use of dermal secretion as a matrix for monitoring glucocorticoid concentrations in African amphibian species. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 7:coz022. [PMID: 31110770 PMCID: PMC6521680 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The complex interaction between factors leading to amphibian declines is responsible for the inability to develop robust, standardized conservation action plans. Monitoring physiological stress responses in amphibians may provide an ideal tool to assist conservationists in this regard. This study aimed to validate dermal secretions as a robust matrix for monitoring glucocorticoid alterations in an African amphibian, the edible bullfrog (Pyxicephalus edulis). Both a biological (handling) and physiological (ACTH challenge) validation were conducted to determine which of five available enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) tested is most suited for monitoring alterations in dermal glucocorticoid (dGC) concentrations. Additionally, the most optimal body region for monitoring dGC concentrations in P. edulis was identified. To confirm the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis following ACTH administration, urinary glucocorticoid metabolites (uGCM) were also quantified. The tested corticosterone EIA was the only assay able to monitor alterations in dGC concentrations following the handling event in P. edulis. Further validation during the ACTH challenge supported the corticosterone EIA in this regard. Dermal secretions collected from both the ventral and dorsal regions were suitable for monitoring dGC concentrations in both sexes. A considerable increase in uGCM concentrations following ACTH administration was found, suggesting that the dGC concentrations observed were derived from the HPI axis. This study offers further support for the use of dermal secretions as an important matrix for monitoring physiological stress, and thus general health, in amphibian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Scheun
- Research & Scientific Services Department, National Zoological Garden, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
| | - Dominique Greeff
- Research & Scientific Services Department, National Zoological Garden, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
| | - Katarina Medger
- Research & Scientific Services Department, National Zoological Garden, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
| | - Andre Ganswindt
- Research & Scientific Services Department, National Zoological Garden, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
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21
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Llewelyn VK, Berger L, Glass BD. Effects of skin region and relative lipophilicity on percutaneous absorption in the toad Rhinella marina. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2019; 38:361-367. [PMID: 30370675 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Owing to the dynamic interaction between frog skin and the environment, xenobiotics in frog habitats are of particular concern, and knowledge of percutaneous absorption in frog skin is necessary for risk-mitigation purposes. Baseline transdermal kinetics in adult aquatic and arboreal frog species have recently been reported; however, there is little information regarding absorption kinetics in adult terrestrial species. The present study investigated the in vitro absorption kinetics of 3 model chemicals-caffeine, benzoic acid, and ibuprofen-through different skin regions in the terrestrial toad Rhinella marina. Caffeine flux was consistently higher than that of the other 2 chemicals (p < 0.001), whereas the fluxes of the moderately and highly lipophilic chemicals (benzoic acid and ibuprofen) were similar, regardless of skin region. When considering individual chemicals, caffeine demonstrated increased flux through the ventral pelvic skin compared with the ventral thoracic or dorsal skin regions. Flux did not differ between skin regions for either benzoic acid or ibuprofen. These findings have implications for management of environmental contamination in frog habitats, as many environmental xenobiotics are of moderate to high lipophilicity and would be expected to be equally absorbed from all skin surfaces in terrestrial toads. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:361-367. © 2018 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria K Llewelyn
- Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Lee Berger
- One Health Research Group, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Beverley D Glass
- Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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22
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Barsotti AMG, Titon Junior B, Titon SCM, Gomes FR. Dehydration as a stressor in toads (Rhinella ornata
). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 331:168-174. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Braz Titon Junior
- Departamento de Fisiologia; Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
| | | | - Fernando Ribeiro Gomes
- Departamento de Fisiologia; Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
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23
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Cane toads (Rhinella marina) rely on water access, not drought tolerance, to invade xeric Australian environments. Oecologia 2018; 189:307-316. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4321-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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24
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Gouveia SF, Bovo RP, Rubalcaba JG, Da Silva FR, Maciel NM, Andrade DV, Martinez PA. Biophysical Modeling of Water Economy Can Explain Geographic Gradient of Body Size in Anurans. Am Nat 2018; 193:51-58. [PMID: 30624109 DOI: 10.1086/700833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Geographical gradients of body size express climate-driven constraints on animals, but whether they exist and what causes them in ectotherms remains contentious. For amphibians, the water conservation hypothesis posits that larger bodies reduce evaporative water loss (EWL) along dehydrating gradients. To address this hypothesis mechanistically, we build on well-established biophysical equations of water exchange in anurans to propose a state-transition model that predicts an increase of either body size or resistance to EWL as alternative specialization along dehydrating gradients. The model predicts that species whose water economy is more sensitive to variation in body size than to variation in resistance to EWL should increase in size in response to increasing potential evapotranspiration (PET). To evaluate the model predictions, we combine physiological measurements of resistance to EWL with geographic data of body size for four different anuran species. Only one species, Dendropsophus minutus, was predicted to exhibit a positive body size-PET relationship. Results were as predicted for all cases, with one species-Boana faber-showing a negative relationship. Based on an empirically verified mathematical model, we show that clines of body size among anurans depend on the current values of those traits and emerge as an advantage for water conservation. Our model offers a mechanistic and compelling explanation for the cause and variation of gradients of body size in anurans.
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25
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Christian K, Weitzman C, Rose A, Kaestli M, Gibb K. Ecological patterns in the skin microbiota of frogs from tropical Australia. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:10510-10519. [PMID: 30464823 PMCID: PMC6238143 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbiota of frog skin can play an important role in protecting against diseases and parasites. The frog skin microbial community represents a complex mix of microbes that are promoted by the chemical environment of the frog skin and influenced by the animal's immediate past environment. The microbial communities of six species of frogs sampled from the campus of Charles Darwin University (CDU) were more similar within species than between species. The microbiota of the introduced cane toad (Rhinella marina) was most dissimilar among the species. Pairwise comparisons showed that the microbial communities of each species were different, except for the terrestrial Litoria nasuta and the arboreal L. rothii. The microbial communities of the six species were not related to ecological habit (arboreal or terrestrial), and neither was the alpha diversity of the microbes. The core microbes (defined as being on ≥90% of individuals of a species or group) were significantly different among all species, although 89 microbial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were core microbes for all six species at CDU. Two species, Rhinella marina and Litoria rothii, were sampled at additional sites approximately 10 and 30 km from CDU. The microbial communities and the core OTU composition were different among the sites, but there were nevertheless 194 (R. marina) and 181 (L. rothii) core OTUs present at all three sites. Thus, the core microbiota varied with respect to geographic range and sample size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith Christian
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin UniversityDarwinNorthern TerritoryAustralia
| | | | - Alea Rose
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin UniversityDarwinNorthern TerritoryAustralia
| | - Mirjam Kaestli
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin UniversityDarwinNorthern TerritoryAustralia
| | - Karen Gibb
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin UniversityDarwinNorthern TerritoryAustralia
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26
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Roznik EA, Rodriguez-Barbosa CA, Johnson SA. Hydric Balance and Locomotor Performance of Native and Invasive Frogs. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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27
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Lourenço-de-Moraes R, Malagoli LR, Guerra V, Ferreira RB, Affonso IDP, Haddad CFB, Sawaya RJ, Bastos RP. Nesting patterns among Neotropical species assemblages: can reserves in urban areas be failing to protect anurans? Urban Ecosyst 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-018-0767-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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28
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Llewelyn VK, Berger L, Glass BD. Regional variation in percutaneous absorption in the tree frog Litoria caerulea. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2018; 60:5-11. [PMID: 29631153 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2018.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Frog skin structure and physiology differs between skin regions, however little is known about how these differences affect transdermal absorption of chemicals. Further, no information is available regarding how the relative lipophilicity of a chemical influences its transdermal pharmacokinetics in frog skin. This study investigated the in vitro percutaneous absorption of three model chemicals - benzoic acid, caffeine, and ibuprofen - through dorsal and ventral skin of the tree frog Litoria caerulea. Flux was significantly higher through the ventral skin for all chemicals. Relative lipophilicity affected flux differently in different skin regions. These differences are likely due to significantly thicker dorsal skin increasing absorption path length, and also possibly owing to lipoid secretions on the dorsum providing an additional diffusional barrier. This knowledge can advise risk mitigation of xenobiotics in agricultural and industrial settings, and also guide selection of chemicals and doses when considering transdermal drug therapy in captive frogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria K Llewelyn
- Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Australia.
| | - Lee Berger
- One Health Research Group, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Australia
| | - Beverley D Glass
- Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Australia
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29
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Russo CJM, Ohmer MEB, Cramp RL, Franklin CE. A pathogenic skin fungus and sloughing exacerbate cutaneous water loss in amphibians. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:221/9/jeb167445. [PMID: 29752415 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.167445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a pathogenic fungus that causes the cutaneous, infectious disease chytridiomycosis and has been implicated in population declines of numerous anuran species worldwide. Proximate cause of death by chytridiomycosis is asystolic cardiac arrest as a consequence of severe disruption to electrolyte balance. Animals heavily infected with Bd also experience a disruption to their skin sloughing regime, indicating that core functions of the skin, such as water retention, may be severely impacted. This study examined how skin sloughing, body size and Bd infection interact to influence water loss rates in five Australian frog species: Litoria caerulea, Limnodynastes peronii, Lechriodus fletcheri, Limnodynastes tasmaniensis and Platyplectrum ornatum Rates of water loss more than doubled during sloughing in L.caerulea During active periods across all species, water loss rates were on average 232% higher in Bd infected frogs than in uninfected frogs. This indicates that dehydration stress may be a significant factor contributing to the morbidity of severely Bd infected anurans, a symptom that is then exacerbated by an increased rate of sloughing. When taking size into account, smaller and/or juvenile anurans may be more at risk from dehydration due to Bd infection, as they lose a greater amount of water and slough more frequently than adults. This may in part explain the higher mortality rates typical for small and juvenile frogs infected with Bd Understanding how Bd affects the core functions of the skin, including rates of water loss, can improve our predictions of disease outcome in amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine J M Russo
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Michel E B Ohmer
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Rebecca L Cramp
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Craig E Franklin
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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30
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Cruz-Piedrahita C, Navas CA, Crawford AJ. Life on the Edge: A Comparative Study of Ecophysiological Adaptations of Frogs to Tropical Semiarid Environments. Physiol Biochem Zool 2017; 91:740-756. [PMID: 29211619 DOI: 10.1086/695705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
A key goal of ecology and evolution is to understand the relative contributions of environment and history in determining the geographic distribution of organisms. For the Neotropical lowlands, where temperatures are similar across landscapes, we hypothesize that water balance may be a critical but understudied factor in determining the distribution of species. Amphibians are especially sensitive to variation in precipitation due to their permeable skin. Here we focused on lowland frogs of northwestern South America and investigated variation among 17 species in potentially important ecologically relevant performance variables related to water balance, testing for possible adaptations to semiarid conditions within species. We studied frogs from coastal xeric, savannah, and wet forest biomes under common laboratory conditions and quantified rates of evaporative water loss, rates of water uptake, and variation in water-searching behavior and performance. We found significant differences in all three performance variables among species even after accounting for shared evolutionary history. A phylogenetic ANCOVA showed that categorizing species by ecological habit (terrestrial vs. arboreal) explained much of the ecoperformance trait variation among species. Secondarily, environment explained additional variation; for example, coastal xeric species showed reduced rates of water loss, and terrestrial savannah amphibians showed lower rates of water uptake. Conspecific frog populations from different biomes exhibited similar performance. We compare our results with previous studies and conclude that ecological habit is the principle factor that predicts ecophysiological trait variation and the possible geographic distribution of lowland Neotropical frogs.
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31
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Shu G, Gong Y, Xie F, Wu NC, Li C. Effects of long-term preservation on amphibian body conditions: implications for historical morphological research. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3805. [PMID: 28929024 PMCID: PMC5602676 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Measurements of historical specimens are widely applied in studies of taxonomy, systematics, and ecology, but biologists often assume that the effects of preservative chemicals on the morphology of amphibian specimens are minimal in their analyses. We compared the body length and body mass of 182 samples of 13 live and preserved (up to 10 years) anuran species and found that the body length and body mass of preserved specimens significantly decreased by 6.1% and 24.8%, respectively, compared to those measurements of their live counterparts. The changes in body length and mass also exhibited highly significant variations between species. Similarly, there were significant differences in shrinkage of body length and body mass between sexes, where males showed greater shrinkage in body length and body mass compared to females. Preservation distorted the magnitude of the interspecific differences in body length observed in the fresh specimens. Overall, the reduction in body length or mass was greater in longer or heavier individuals. Due to the effects of preservation on amphibian morphology, we propose two parsimonious conversion equations to back-calculate the original body length and body mass of studied anurans for researchers working with historical data, since morphological data from preserved specimens may lead to incorrect biological interpretations when comparing to fresh specimens. Therefore, researchers should correct for errors due to preservation effects that may lead to the misinterpretation of results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guocheng Shu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuzhou Gong
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Xie
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Nicholas C Wu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Cheng Li
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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32
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Riddell EA, Sears MW. Physical calculations of resistance to water loss improve species range models: reply. Ecology 2017; 98:2965-2968. [PMID: 28902387 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric A Riddell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, 29631, USA
| | - Michael W Sears
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, 29631, USA
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33
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Gunderson AR, Dillon ME, Stillman JH. Estimating the benefits of plasticity in ectotherm heat tolerance under natural thermal variability. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alex R. Gunderson
- Romberg Tiburon Center and Department of BiologySan Francisco State University3150 Paradise DriveTiburonCA94920USA
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of California, Berkeley1005 Valley Life Sciences Building #3140BerkeleyCA94720‐3140USA
| | - Michael E. Dillon
- Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in EcologyUniversity of Wyoming1000 East University Ave.LaramieWY82071USA
| | - Jonathon H. Stillman
- Romberg Tiburon Center and Department of BiologySan Francisco State University3150 Paradise DriveTiburonCA94920USA
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of California, Berkeley1005 Valley Life Sciences Building #3140BerkeleyCA94720‐3140USA
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34
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Titon B, Gomes FR. Associations of water balance and thermal sensitivity of toads with macroclimatic characteristics of geographical distribution. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2017; 208:54-60. [PMID: 28336476 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2017.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Interspecific variation in patterns of geographical distribution of phylogenetically related species of amphibians might be related to physiological adaptation to different climatic conditions. In this way, a comparative study of resistance to evaporative water loss, rehydration rates and sensitivity of locomotor performance to variations on hydration level and temperature was performed for five species of Bufonidae toads (Rhinella granulosa, R. jimi, R. ornata, R. schneideri and R. icterica) inhabiting different Brazilian biomes. The hypotheses tested were that, when compared to species inhabiting mesic environments, species living at hot and dry areas would show: (1) greater resistance to evaporative water loss, (2) higher rates of water uptake, (3) lower sensitivity of locomotor performance to dehydration and (4) lower sensitivity of locomotor performance at higher temperatures and higher sensitivity of locomotor performance at lower temperatures. This comparative analysis showed relations between body mass and interspecific variation in rehydration rates and resistance to evaporative water loss in opposite directions. These results might represent a functional compensation associated with relatively lower absorption areas in larger toads and higher evaporative areas in smaller ones. Moreover, species from the semi-arid Caatinga showed locomotor performance less sensitive to dehydration but highly affected by lower temperatures, as well greater resistance to evaporative water loss, when compared to the other species from the mesic Atlantic Forest and the savannah-like area called Cerrado. These results suggest adaptation patterns to environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braz Titon
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Fernando Ribeiro Gomes
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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35
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Riddell EA, Apanovitch EK, Odom JP, Sears MW. Physical calculations of resistance to water loss improve predictions of species range models. ECOL MONOGR 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric A. Riddell
- Department of Biological Sciences; Clemson University; 132 Long Hall Clemson South Carolina 29634 USA
| | - Evan K. Apanovitch
- Department of Biological Sciences; Clemson University; 132 Long Hall Clemson South Carolina 29634 USA
| | - Jonathan P. Odom
- Department of Biological Sciences; Clemson University; 132 Long Hall Clemson South Carolina 29634 USA
| | - Michael W. Sears
- Department of Biological Sciences; Clemson University; 132 Long Hall Clemson South Carolina 29634 USA
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36
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Anderson RCO, Bovo RP, Eismann CE, Menegario AA, Andrade DV. Not Good, but Not All Bad: Dehydration Effects on Body Fluids, Organ Masses, and Water Flux through the Skin of Rhinella schneideri (Amphibia, Bufonidae). Physiol Biochem Zool 2017; 90:313-320. [PMID: 28384420 DOI: 10.1086/690189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Because of their permeable skin, terrestrial amphibians are constantly challenged by the potential risk of dehydration. However, some of the physiological consequences associated with dehydration may affect aspects that are themselves relevant to the regulation of water balance. Accordingly, we examined the effects of graded levels of dehydration on the rates of evaporative water loss and water absorption through the skin in the terrestrial Neotropical toad, Rhinella schneideri. Concomitantly, we monitored the effects of dehydration on the mass of visceral organs; hematocrit and hemoglobin content; plasma osmolality; and plasma concentration of urea, sodium, chloride, and potassium. We found that dehydration caused an increase in the concentration of body fluids, as indicated by virtually all the parameters examined. There was a proportional change in the relative masses of visceral organs, except for the liver and kidneys, which exhibited a decrease in their relative masses greater than the whole-body level of dehydration. Changes-or the preservation-of relative organ masses during dehydration may be explained by organ-specific physiological adjustments in response to the functional stress introduced by the dehydration itself. As dehydration progressed, evaporative water loss diminished and water reabsorption increased. In both cases, the increase in body fluid concentration associated with the dehydration provided the osmotic driver for these changes in water flux. Additionally, dehydration-induced alterations on the cutaneous barrier may also have contributed to the decrease in water flux. Dehydration, therefore, while posing a considerable challenge on the water balance regulation of anurans, paradoxically facilitates water conservation and absorption.
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37
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Toads in the backyard: why do invasive cane toads (
Rhinella marina
) prefer buildings to bushland? POPUL ECOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-016-0539-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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38
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Bovo RP, Andrade DV, Toledo LF, Longo AV, Rodriguez D, Haddad CFB, Zamudio KR, Becker CG. Physiological responses of Brazilian amphibians to an enzootic infection of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2016; 117:245-52. [PMID: 26758658 DOI: 10.3354/dao02940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Pathophysiological effects of clinical chytridiomycosis in amphibians include disorders of cutaneous osmoregulation and disruption of the ability to rehydrate, which can lead to decreased host fitness or mortality. Less attention has been given to physiological responses of hosts where enzootic infections of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) do not cause apparent population declines in the wild. Here, we experimentally tested whether an enzootic strain of Bd causes significant mortality and alters host water balance (evaporative water loss, EWL; skin resistance, R(s); and water uptake, WU) in individuals of 3 Brazilian amphibian species (Dendropsophus minutus, n = 19; Ischnocnema parva, n = 17; Brachycephalus pitanga, n = 15). Infections with enzootic Bd caused no significant mortality, but we found an increase in R(s) in 1 host species concomitant with a reduction in EWL. These results suggest that enzootic Bd infections can indeed cause sub-lethal effects that could lead to reduction of host fitness in Brazilian frogs and that these effects vary among species. Thus, our findings underscore the need for further assessment of physiological responses to Bd infections in different host species, even in cases of sub-clinical chytridiomycosis and long-term enzootic infections in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael P Bovo
- Departamento de Zoologia, c. p. 199, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
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39
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Titon B, Gomes FR. Relation between Water Balance and Climatic Variables Associated with the Geographical Distribution of Anurans. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0140761. [PMID: 26469787 PMCID: PMC4607303 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphibian species richness increases toward the equator, particularly in humid tropical forests. This relation between amphibian species richness and environmental water availability has been proposed to be a consequence of their high rates of evaporative water loss. In this way, traits that estimate water balance are expected to covary with climate and constrain a species' geographic distribution. Furthermore, we predicted that coexisting species of anurans would have traits that are adapted to local hydric conditions. We compared the traits that describe water balance in 17 species of anurans that occur in the mesic Atlantic Forest and xeric Cerrado (savannah) habitats of Brazil. We predicted that species found in the warmer and dryer areas would show a lower sensitivity of locomotor performance to dehydration (SLPD), increased resistance to evaporative water loss (REWL) and higher rates of water uptake (RWU) than species restricted to the more mesic areas. We estimated the allometric relations between the hydric traits and body mass using phylogenetic generalized least squares. These regressions showed that REWL scaled negatively with body mass, whereas RWU scaled positively with body mass. Additionally, species inhabiting areas characterized by higher and more seasonally uniform temperatures, and lower and more seasonally concentrated precipitation, such as the Cerrado, had higher RWU and SLPD than species with geographical distributions more restricted to mesic environments, such as the Atlantic Forest. These results support the hypothesis that the interspecific variation of physiological traits shows an adaptation pattern to abiotic environmental traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braz Titon
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando Ribeiro Gomes
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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40
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Noronha-de-Souza CR, Bovo RP, Gargaglioni LH, Andrade DV, Bícego KC. Thermal biology of the toad Rhinella schneideri in a seminatural environment in southeastern Brazil. Temperature (Austin) 2015; 2:554-62. [PMID: 27227075 PMCID: PMC4843925 DOI: 10.1080/23328940.2015.1096437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2015] [Revised: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The toad, Rhinella schneideri, is a large-bodied anuran amphibian with a broad distribution over South America. R. schneideri is known to be active at night during the warm/rainy months and goes into estivation during the dry/cold months; however, there is no data on the range of body temperatures (Tb) experienced by this toad in the field, and how environmental factors, thermoregulatory behaviors or activity influence them. By using implantable temperature dataloggers, we provide an examination of Tb variation during an entire year under a seminatural setting (emulating its natural habitat) monitored with thermosensors. We also used data on preferred Tb, allowing us to express the effectiveness of thermoregulation quantitatively. Paralleling its cycle of activity, R. schneideri exhibited differences in its daily and seasonal profile of Tb variation. During the active season, toads spent daytime hours in shelters and, therefore, did not explore microhabitats with higher thermal quality, such as open areas in the sun. At nighttime, the thermal suitability of microhabitats shifted as exposed microhabitats experienced greater temperature drops than the more insulated shelter. As toads became active at night, they were driven to the more exposed areas and, as a result, thermoregulatory effectiveness decreased. Our results, therefore, indicate that, during the active season, a compromise between thermoregulation and nocturnal activity may be at play. During the estivation period, R. schneideri spent the entire day cycle inside the shelter. As toads did not engage in nocturnal activity in those areas with low thermal quality, the overall effectiveness of thermoregulation was, indeed, elevated. In conclusion, we showed that daily and seasonal variation in Tb of an anuran species is highly associated with their respective pattern of activity and may involve important physiological and ecological compromises.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rafael P Bovo
- Department of Zoology; Institute of Bioscience; São Paulo State University ; Rio Claro; São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luciane H Gargaglioni
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology; College of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences; São Paulo State University; Jaboticabal; São Paulo, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology - Comparative Physiology (INCT- Fisiologia Comparada)
| | - Denis V Andrade
- Department of Zoology; Institute of Bioscience; São Paulo State University; Rio Claro; São Paulo, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology - Comparative Physiology (INCT- Fisiologia Comparada)
| | - Kênia C Bícego
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology; College of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences; São Paulo State University; Jaboticabal; São Paulo, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology - Comparative Physiology (INCT- Fisiologia Comparada)
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41
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Vidal-García M, Keogh JS. Convergent evolution across the Australian continent: ecotype diversification drives morphological convergence in two distantly related clades of Australian frogs. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:2136-51. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Revised: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Vidal-García
- Evolution, Ecology & Genetics, Research School of Biology; The Australian National University; Canberra ACT Australia
| | - J. S. Keogh
- Evolution, Ecology & Genetics, Research School of Biology; The Australian National University; Canberra ACT Australia
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42
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Moen DS, Morlon H, Wiens JJ. Testing Convergence Versus History: Convergence Dominates Phenotypic Evolution for over 150 Million Years in Frogs. Syst Biol 2015; 65:146-60. [DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syv073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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43
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Habitat use of the introduced cane toad (Rhinella marina) and native frog species in tropical Australia. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467415000474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:The ecological impacts of introduced species can reveal mechanisms underlying habitat selection and behaviour. We investigated the habitat use of native frog species and the invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina) in tropical northern Australia to measure overlap in habitat use, and to test if the presence of the cane toad influences frog behaviour. Native frog species and the cane toad both preferred habitats close to water and unvegetated holes. However, native frogs were found further from water (on average 19.4 m) than were toads (on average 12.6 m), and preferred areas with higher vegetation (8–50 cm) than did toads, which were more abundant in vegetation lower than 8 cm. For both types of anuran, the next neighbour was more often of the same type (89% in frogs, 52% in toads) than expected by chance (observed ratio: 75% frogs vs 25% toads), reflecting these differences in habitat use. Our counts of frog abundance increased on average 14.5% in areas from which we removed cane toads temporarily. This result suggests that cane toads inhibit the activity of native anurans either by inducing avoidance, or by reducing activity. By modifying the behaviour and spatial distribution of native taxa, invasive cane toads may curtail activities such as feeding and breeding.
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44
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Mitchell A, Bergmann PJ. Thermal and moisture habitat preferences do not maximize jumping performance in frogs. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Allegra Mitchell
- Department of Biology Clark University 950 Main Street WorcesterMA 01610 USA
| | - Philip J. Bergmann
- Department of Biology Clark University 950 Main Street WorcesterMA 01610 USA
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45
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González-Bernal E, Brown GP, Crowther MS, Shine R. Sex and age differences in habitat use by invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina) and a native anuran (Cyclorana australis) in the Australian wet-dry tropics. AUSTRAL ECOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Edna González-Bernal
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Sydney; Sydney New South Wales Australia
- CIIDIR Unidad Oaxaca, Instituto Politécnico Nacional; Hornos 1003 Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán Oaxaca 71230 México
| | - Gregory P. Brown
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Sydney; Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Mathew S. Crowther
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Sydney; Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Richard Shine
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Sydney; Sydney New South Wales Australia
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46
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Riddell EA, Sears MW. Geographic variation of resistance to water loss within two species of lungless salamanders: implications for activity. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es14-00360.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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47
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Lapinski W, Tschapka M. Desiccation resistance reflects patterns of microhabitat choice in a Central American assemblage of wandering spiders. J Exp Biol 2014; 217:2789-95. [PMID: 24855682 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.102533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The lowland rainforest of northeastern Costa Rica harbours an assemblage of large wandering spider species belonging to three habitat subguilds: (1) semi-aquatic, (2) forest ground dwelling and (3) vegetation dwelling. We hypothesized that desiccation resistance should differ among species preferring different microhabitats and the associated microclimate. Desiccation resistance was assessed by: (1) measuring water loss rates of the spiders under relatively dry experimental conditions, and (2) recording desiccation susceptibility, i.e. the reactions of the spiders to a relatively dry environment. High water loss rates and desiccation susceptibility of the semi-aquatic and forest-ground-dwelling subguilds clearly mirrored the relatively humid microclimate of the understory. Significantly lower water loss rates and desiccation susceptibility of the vegetation-dwelling species reflected the highly variable, often dry and hot conditions of the rainforest canopy and forest edge habitats. Vegetation-dwelling wandering spiders are therefore physiologically better adapted to dry conditions than the semi-aquatic and forest-ground-dwelling species. The results illustrate the significance of physiological characteristics for explaining both species-specific habitat use and, in a larger context, niche partitioning within a community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Witold Lapinski
- Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069 Ulm, Germany
| | - Marco Tschapka
- Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069 Ulm, Germany Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa Ancón, Republica de Panamá
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48
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Roznik EA, Alford RA. Using pairs of physiological models to estimate temporal variation in amphibian body temperature. J Therm Biol 2014; 45:22-9. [PMID: 25436947 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2014.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2014] [Revised: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 07/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Physical models are often used to estimate ectotherm body temperatures, but designing accurate models for amphibians is difficult because they can vary in cutaneous resistance to evaporative water loss. To account for this variability, a recently published technique requires a pair of agar models that mimic amphibians with 0% and 100% resistance to evaporative water loss; the temperatures of these models define the lower and upper boundaries of possible amphibian body temperatures for the location in which they are placed. The goal of our study was to develop a method for using these pairs of models to estimate parameters describing the distributions of body temperatures of frogs under field conditions. We radiotracked green-eyed treefrogs (Litoria serrata) and collected semi-continuous thermal data using both temperature-sensitive radiotransmitters with an automated datalogging receiver, and pairs of agar models placed in frog locations, and we collected discrete thermal data using a non-contact infrared thermometer when frogs were located. We first examined the accuracy of temperature-sensitive transmitters in estimating frog body temperatures by comparing transmitter data with direct temperature measurements taken simultaneously for the same individuals. We then compared parameters (mean, minimum, maximum, standard deviation) characterizing the distributions of temperatures of individual frogs estimated from data collected using each of the three methods. We found strong relationships between thermal parameters estimated from data collected using automated radiotelemetry and both types of thermal models. These relationships were stronger for data collected using automated radiotelemetry and impermeable thermal models, suggesting that in the field, L. serrata has a relatively high resistance to evaporative water loss. Our results demonstrate that placing pairs of thermal models in frog locations can provide accurate estimates of the distributions of temperatures experienced by individual frogs, and that comparing temperatures from model pairs to direct measurements collected simultaneously on frogs can be used to broadly characterize the skin resistance of a species, and to select which model type is most appropriate for estimating temperature distributions for that species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Roznik
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
| | - Ross A Alford
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
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49
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Larsen EH, Deaton LE, Onken H, O'Donnell M, Grosell M, Dantzler WH, Weihrauch D. Osmoregulation and Excretion. Compr Physiol 2014; 4:405-573. [DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c130004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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50
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Tracy CR, Tixier T, Le Nöene C, Christian KA. Field hydration state varies among tropical frog species with different habitat use. Physiol Biochem Zool 2014; 87:197-202. [PMID: 24642537 DOI: 10.1086/674537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
We have previously shown that ecological habit (e.g., arboreal, terrestrial, amphibious) correlates with thermoregulatory behaviors and water balance physiology among species of hylid frogs in northern Australia. We hypothesized that these frogs would be different with respect to their field hydration states because of the challenges associated with the different ecological habits. There are very few data on the hydration levels that frogs maintain in the field, and the existing data are from disparate species and locations and do not relate hydration state to habit or changes in seasonal water availability. We measured the hydration state of 15 species of frogs from tropical northern Australia to determine the influences of ecological habit and season on the hydration state that these frogs maintain. As predicted, frogs were significantly less hydrated in the dry season than they were in the wet season and showed significantly higher variation among individuals, suggesting that maintaining hydration is more challenging in the dry season. In the wet season, terrestrial species were significantly less hydrated than arboreal or amphibious species. During the dry season, amphibious species that sought refuge in cracking mud after the pond dried were significantly less hydrated than terrestrial or arboreal species. These data suggest that hydration behaviors and voluntary tolerance of dehydration vary with habitat use, even within closely related species in the same family or genus. Terrestrial and arboreal species might be expected to be the most vulnerable to changes in water availability, because they are somewhat removed from water sources, but the physiological characteristics of arboreal frogs that result in significant cutaneous resistance to water loss allow them to reduce the effects of their dehydrating microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Tracy
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory 0909, Australia; 2Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia; 3Unité de Formation et de Recherche des Sciences et Techniques, Université Jean Monnet, 42023 Saint-Etienne Cedex 2, France
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