AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

Choice of Oviposition Site and Egg Load Assessment by a Treefrog

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:1991
Authors:Crump, ML
Journal:Herpetologica
Volume:47
Issue:3
Date Published:1991
ISBN Number:00180831
Keywords:Corvidae, Corvus, Corvus corone
Abstract:Discrimination between alternate oviposition sites was examined in the Costa Rican treefrog Hyla pseudopuma. In this species, two major sources of mortality on the egg and tadpole stages are cannibalism by older, conspecific tadpoles and by desiccation when water at the oviposition site evaporates. To examine the effect of these sources of mortality on female choice of oviposition sites, I arranged plastic containers in pairs around a natural pond, giving females a choice between (1) deep water with or without tadpoles, (2) deep or shallow water, and (3) deep water with tadpoles or shallow water without tadpoles. Oviposition sites lacking conspecific tadpoles received significantly more eggs than did sites containing tadpoles, and sites containing deep water received significantly more eggs than sites with shallow water. However, when females were presented with the two poor habitats (deep water with tadpoles, shallow water without tadpoles), there was no significant difference in the distribution of eggs, and few of the sites were used for oviposition. Females appeared to assess the egg load of potential breeding sites. They oviposited preferentially in deep water early in the evening, but later as sites with deep water became crowded with eggs the frogs switched preference to shallow sites that contained fewer eggs. Calling males were more frequently associated with containers of deep water than those with shallow water.
URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/3892622
Short Title:Herpetologica
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith