Project Overview
Current research has shown that minor temperature fluctuations can have a profound impact on amphibian behavior, activity, and development rates. For example, in frogs and toads, increased temperatures speed up egg and larval development rates, which can minimize the amount of time spent in these vulnerable stages. However, in warm climates, available microhabitats can quickly reach lethal temperatures, and individuals must adopt strategies to balance these temperature requirements.
Kristiina Hurme of the University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT) is currently studying tadpole growth and behavior in a Neotropical frog, Leptodactylus insularum, in Panama. This large frog is unusually social, with tadpoles forming dense schools of 4,000-5000 individuals and adult females attending and defending these schools. The function of this attendance is not fully understood, and females may be leading their offspring to different microhabitats with temperatures suitable for optimal development. Within the dense schools, tadpoles also regulate their behavior to maintain optimal temperatures, and actively feed in cooler, deeper water during the heat of the day, while minimizing their time spent in warmer surface waters.
System Description
Kristiina is using NexSens micro-T temperature loggers to generate a thermal map of a temporary pond, in an attempt to understand the temperature ranges that the adults and tadpoles prefer. These combined strategies of group-living and female attendance enable the tadpoles to feed at very high rates, thereby producing very rapid growth and development, which may allow these frogs to breed in unpredictable and ephemeral habitats. You can read more about Kristiina's research on Leptodactylus insularum at: http://www.ristohurme.com/insularum.htm
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NexSens DS1921G | micro-T temperature logger, -40-85 C range |
NexSens DS9000 | Starter Kit includes (6) DS1921G loggers, (1) micro-T software CD, (1) USB reader |
