Wood Frog Personality Across The Metamorphic Boundary

Animal personality has been a topic of major interest to the field of ecology and evolution. Consistency of personality traits in individuals has been observed in invertebrates and vertebrates, however, much less is known about the consistency of those traits at different life stages when selection pressures are subject to change. This is particularly so in species that undergo metamorphosis, a drastic restructuring of physiology and morphology that is often the boundary at which organisms transition into different habitats.

Anurans are a striking example of animals that metamorphose and many species transition from a fully aquatic to terrestrial environment. Little is known about whether or how personality traits differ in tadpoles after metamorphosis. In this study, we assess whether personality traits remain consistent in wood frog (Rana sylvatica) tadpoles after metamorphosis. Because predation can have strong direct (mortality) or indirect (availability of alternative prey) effects on prey, individuals should respond differently depending on the intensity of predator-prey interactions experienced. Larval amphibians, in particular, have been shown to respond to the presence of predators by altering their behavior (Petranka et al. 1987; Kats et al. 1988; Lawler 1989; Werner 1991; Skelly 1992, 1994; Feminella & Hawkins 1994; Petranka & Hayes 1998), morphology (Van Buskirk et al. 1997; Van Buskirk & Relyea 1998; Relyea 2000, 2001), physiology (Hossie et al. 2010; Groner et al. 2013; Maher et al. 2013) and life history (Skelly & Werner 1990), which reduces the likelihood of detection and subsequently capture by predators, but these trait alterations have been shown to come at the cost of slower growth and development (Relyea 2002; Van Buskirk 2002). In this study, we focus on well-documented anti-predator behaviors in the wood frog, Rana sylvatica to test for personality differences in responses of individuals reared with and without the presence of a predator cue and when presented with a context-dependent behavioral trial (with and without the presence of a predator cue in the novel environment).

For more information email: dcbeck@eckerd.edu

Excellence Award in the Behavioral Section 🏆

Eckerd College Undergraduate Research Symposium 2022