scholarly journals Invasive Cuban Treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis) Have More Robust Locomotor Performance Than Two Native Treefrogs (Hyla spp.) in Florida, USA, in Response to Temperature and Parasitic Infections

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Roznik ◽  
Natalia Cano ◽  
Kerri L. Surbaugh ◽  
Chloe T. Ramsay ◽  
Jason R. Rohr
Keyword(s):  
Introduced Species ◽  
Invasion Success ◽  
Parasitic Infections ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Physiological Factors ◽  
Intestinal Nematode ◽  
Jump Distance ◽  
Osteopilus Septentrionalis ◽  
Effects Of Temperature ◽  
Hyla Femoralis

Introduced species pose a threat to biodiversity, and ecological and physiological factors are important in determining whether an introduced species becomes successfully established in a new region. Locomotor performance is one such factor that can influence the abundance and distribution of an introduced species. We investigated the effects of temperature and parasitism by the intestinal nematode Aplectana hamatospicula on the maximum jump distance and endurance in one invasive and two native treefrogs in Florida, USA. We collected frogs from the wild, estimated their parasite loads, and tested their locomotor performance at three temperatures. Contrary to expectations, invasive Cuban treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis), which are adapted to a warmer climate in the Caribbean, outperformed pinewoods treefrogs (Hyla femoralis) and squirrel treefrogs (H. squirella) at each temperature, even when controlling for body size differences. In all three species, maximum jump distance was positively related to temperature, and this relationship was stronger for larger frogs. Parasites influenced both the maximum jump distance and endurance of frogs. In all three species, larger frogs jumped farther maximum distances than smaller frogs, but this relationship was stronger when frogs had lower, rather than higher, parasite loads. Parasitism had little effect on endurance in invasive frogs, but it tended to decrease the endurance of native frogs at high temperatures. Furthermore, at low temperatures, the lengths of consecutive jumps of infected native frogs tended to increase, suggesting that parasites limited the distances of initial jumps. Effects of temperature and parasites on the locomotor performance of frogs could influence their abilities to forage, escape predators, and disperse. The tremendous locomotor performance of O. septentrionalis, which is maintained across temperatures and parasite loads, likely contributes to the invasion success of this species.

scholarly journals The weak link: do muscle properties determine locomotor performance in frogs?

2011 ◽  
Vol 366 (1570) ◽  
pp. 1488-1495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Roberts ◽  
Emily M. Abbott ◽  
Emanuel Azizi
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Mass ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Muscle Power ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Jump Performance ◽  
Leopard Frogs ◽  
Ideal System ◽  
Mechanical Power Output ◽  
Osteopilus Septentrionalis ◽  
Jump Power

Muscles power movement, yet the conceptual link between muscle performance and locomotor performance is poorly developed. Frog jumping provides an ideal system to probe the relationship between muscle capacity and locomotor performance, because a jump is a single discrete event and mechanical power output is a critical determinant of jump distance. We tested the hypothesis that interspecific variation in jump performance could be explained by variability in available muscle power. We used force plate ergometry to measure power produced during jumping in Cuban tree frogs ( Osteopilus septentrionalis ), leopard frogs ( Rana pipiens ) and cane toads ( Bufo marinus ). We also measured peak isotonic power output in isolated plantaris muscles for each species. As expected, jump performance varied widely. Osteopilus septentrionalis developed peak power outputs of 1047.0 ± 119.7 W kg −1 hindlimb muscle mass, about five times that of B. marinus (198.5 ± 54.5 W kg −1 ). Values for R. pipiens were intermediate (543.9 ± 96.2 W kg −1 ). These differences in jump power were not matched by differences in available muscle power, which were 312.7 ± 28.9, 321.8 ± 48.5 and 262.8 ± 23.2 W kg −1 muscle mass for O. septentrionalis , R. pipiens and B. marinus , respectively. The lack of correlation between available muscle power and jump power suggests that non-muscular mechanisms (e.g. elastic energy storage) can obscure the link between muscle mechanical performance and locomotor performance.

Thermal dependence of food assimilation and locomotor performance in juvenile blue-tailed skinks, Eumeces elegans

2007 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Xin Bao ◽  
Wei-Guo Du ◽  
Lin Shu ◽  
Yi-Wei Lu
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Thermal Sensitivity ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
Assimilation Efficiency ◽  
Age Difference ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Thermal Dependence ◽  
Physiological Performance ◽  
Effects Of Temperature ◽  
Food Assimilation

AbstractVariation in the physiological performance and behaviour of ectotherms as a result of changes in body temperature can affect important life-history traits. Studies investigating the effects of temperature on physiological performance and behaviour have thus clear ecological significance. We captured juvenile blue-tailed skinks, Eumeces elegans, from a population in Zhejiang, eastern China, and determined the effects of temperature on their food assimilation and locomotor performance. Food intake of the juveniles generally increased with increase in temperatures within the range of 24-30°C and decreased at higher temperatures. The temperature significantly affected the apparent digestive coefficient (ADC) and the assimilation efficiency (AE) of juveniles; the ADC and AE of the skinks at 32°C were higher than those of skinks at other temperatures. The sprint speed increased with increase in temperature within the range of 12-32°C and decreased at higher temperatures. These results suggest the patterns of thermal sensitivity may differ in various functional performances, and hence support the 'multiple optima hypothesis', which suggests that no specific temperature maximises all functional performance. In addition, this study indicates significant between-age difference in thermal physiology by comparing our data with those on adult skinks, including different thermal sensitivity of AE, and different ranges of thermal-performance breadth for food intake and locomotor performance between juvenile and adult E. elegans.

scholarly journals Harlequin Frogs (Lysapsus) prefer mild places to park

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Cunha Ganci ◽  
Zaida Ortega ◽  
Diogo B. Provete
Keyword(s):  
Response Time ◽  
Thermal Sensitivity ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Extreme Temperatures ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Jumping Performance ◽  
Total Distance ◽  
Jump Distance

AbstractTemperature affects most aspects of ectotherms’ life history, including physiology and behavior. Studying thermal sensitivity of jumping performance in frogs can help understanding the influence of temperature on different aspects of frog life. Still, studies on the effects of temperature on amphibians are commonly carried out on terrestrial and tree species, creating a gap for aquatic species. We experimentally tested the thermal sensitivity of jumping performance of the Uruguay Harlequin Frog, Lysapsus limellum, assessing three measures: response time, distance of first jump, and total distance travelled. We hypothesized that individuals submitted to extreme temperatures would increase response time, decrease first jump distance, and increase total jump distance. We used an arena with a gradient of air temperature (Ta) ranging from 20 to 40 °C. We placed frogs at different Ta and stimulated them to jump. Then, we analysed the influence of Ta on the three estimates of jumping performance, using generalized additive models. We found that temperature affected all three measurements of jumping performance, but some relationships were stronger than others. Extreme temperatures increased response time, reduced first jump distance, and increased total distance. The effect was weaker for response time and first jump distance, but substantially stronger for total distance jumped. Although individuals under extreme temperatures experience a reduced jumping performance, they travelled longer distances to find areas with milder temperatures. Thus, we showed that L. limellum thermoregulates by means of behavior, moving through places at different thermal conditions. Additionally, benefits of displacing to thermally suitable places -in terms of enhanced jumping performance-are bigger than the costs of jumping at reduced locomotor performance, at least under experimental conditions. Our results can help understand how climate change affects the locomotor performance of Neotropical amphibians.

scholarly journals The Effects of Temperature on the Kinematics of Rattlesnake Predatory Strikes in Both Captive and Field Environments

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M D Whitford ◽  
G A Freymiller ◽  
T E Higham ◽  
R W Clark
Keyword(s):  
Body Temperature ◽  
New World ◽  
Environmental Temperature ◽  
Maximum Velocity ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Body Temperatures ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Predatory Strike ◽  
Effects Of Temperature ◽  
The Difference

Abstract The outcomes of predator–prey interactions between endotherms and ectotherms can be heavily influenced by environmental temperature, owing to the difference in how body temperature affects locomotor performance. However, as elastic energy storage mechanisms can allow ectotherms to maintain high levels of performance at cooler body temperatures, detailed analyses of kinematics are necessary to fully understand how changes in temperature might alter endotherm–ectotherm predator–prey interactions. Viperid snakes are widely distributed ectothermic mesopredators that interact with endotherms both as predator and prey. Although there are numerous studies on the kinematics of viper strikes, surprisingly few have analyzed how this rapid movement is affected by temperature. Here we studied the effects of temperature on the predatory strike performance of rattlesnakes (Crotalus spp.), abundant new world vipers, using both field and captive experimental contexts. We found that the effects of temperature on predatory strike performance are limited, with warmer snakes achieving slightly higher maximum strike acceleration, but similar maximum velocity. Our results suggest that, unlike defensive strikes to predators, rattlesnakes may not attempt to maximize strike speed when attacking prey, and thus the outcomes of predatory strikes may not be heavily influenced by changes in temperature.

scholarly journals Factors affecting gastrointestinal parasite infections in goats in semi-arid rural ecosystems in India

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinesh Kumar Sharma ◽  
Ajoy Mandal
Keyword(s):  
Arid Zone ◽  
Herd Size ◽  
Parasitic Infections ◽  
Flock Size ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Intestinal Nematode ◽  
Fecal Egg Count ◽  
Parasite Infections ◽  
Coccidian Infection ◽  
Semi Arid

This study was undertaken in two adopted villages of a semi-arid zone of India (namely Mahuan and Bhahai) to assess the prevalence rates of different parasitic infections in goats and the various factors affecting them. In a 4-years study, the effect of various factors like year and season of sampling, farmer’s land holding, flock size, sex and age of the animals along with interactions, were observed and analyzed. The common parasites profile of both villages was equal. Coccidian infection in both villages (36.96 and 41.81 percent, respectively) was marked by the presence of <em>Eimeria arliongi, E. ninakohlyakimovae</em>, <em>E. parva</em>,<em> E. caprina</em>, <em>E. alijevi</em> species, while gastro-intestinal nematode infections (23.17 and 27.23 percent respectively) were dominated by the presence of <em>Haemonchus contortus</em>. The study revealed that different environmental factors, like farmer’s land holding, herd size and age of the animal, significantly influenced the load of coccidian infection. Among nematode ones, the effects of factors like herd size and age of the animals were significant on fecal egg count, whereas for Moniezial infection sampling year, land holding capacity of farmers and flock size had significant effect on fecal egg count of animals. We can conclude that the interaction effect between sampling village per sampling year had only a significant effect on coccidian infection of goats (P&lt;0.05).

Effects of gravidity on the locomotor performance and escape behaviour of two lizard populations: the importance of habitat structure

Behaviour ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 147 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Díaz ◽  
Camila Monasterio ◽  
Pablo Iraeta ◽  
Alfredo Salvador
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Structure ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Laying Date ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Psammodromus Algirus ◽  
Effects Of Temperature ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Gravid Females ◽  
Two Populations

AbstractIn lizards, locomotor costs of gravidity may depend on habitat structure and refuge availability. We compared the locomotor performance and escape tactics in the laboratory, before and after oviposition, of two populations of Psammodromus algirus separated by 700 m altitude. When gravid, females escaped using a larger number of slower and shorter runs, and had lower temperatures at the time of trial, than after oviposition. Some of these effects differed between populations: when gravid, but not after oviposition, low-elevation females ran shorter distances at a slower average speed than high-elevation ones. Low-elevation females laid their clutches earlier than high-elevation ones, which conditioned their lower speed when gravid in simultaneous running trials. However, their escape distances were still shorter after controlling for the effects of temperature and laying date. In the field, refuge availability was lower at the low-elevation site, where females spent more time inside refuges and perching above ground. The shorter escape distance of low-elevation females may, thus, represent a behavioural response to minimize detectability, especially if predator avoidance depends primarily on whether or not the lizard is seen by the predator. Such behavioural adjustments might inhibit selection for evolutionary shifts in the performance of gravid females.

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