Home range and notes about social interactions in the poison frog Phyllobates vittatus (Anura: Dendrobatidae)

Understanding animal movements is vital for gaining insights into species' ecological patterns, habitat preferences, and reproductive strategies. Studies in dendrobatid frogs have revealed that home range behaviours, particularly in species with male parental care, are closely linked to the dis...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Garrido Priego, Marina, Monge Velázquez, Michelle, Whitworth, Andrew, Gómez-Mestre, Iván
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/386828
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/386828
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85182244430
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Aggressive behaviour
Costa Rica
Dear enemy
Kernel
MCP
Descripción
Sumario:Understanding animal movements is vital for gaining insights into species' ecological patterns, habitat preferences, and reproductive strategies. Studies in dendrobatid frogs have revealed that home range behaviours, particularly in species with male parental care, are closely linked to the distribution of reproductive resources. Here we focus on males of the poison frog Phyllobates vittatus, endemic to the southern Pacific of Costa Rica to determine males’ home range size and the degree of overlap between individuals of P. vittatus. Sixteen individuals were tracked using harmonic direction finder over 4–5 days each, revealing an average minimum convex polygon area of 55.7 m2 and a 50% kernel density estimates area of 26.75 m2. Overlapping areas indicated shared home ranges, possibly due to resource distribution. Contrary to prior expectations, we did not observe aggressive encounters between males tracked but we observed one aggressive event between two males carrying tadpoles. Notably, we observed a novel behaviour: a female apparently defending tadpoles from a perceived male intruder. These findings provide important insights into P. vittatus’ behaviour and space use, which are key to developing and implementing conservation strategies, especially considering its vulnerable status and the limited available data on this endemic species.