Escalated antipredator mechanisms of two neotropical marsupial treefrogs

Ricardo Lourenço-de-Moraes; Rodrigo B. Ferreira; Caio V. Mira-Mendes; Cassio Z. Zocca; Tadeu Medeiros; Danilo S. Ruas; Raoni Rebouças; Luís Felipe Toledo; Edmund D. Brodie Jr.; Mirco Solé

The Herpetological Journal is the Society's prestigious quarterly scientific journal. Articles are listed in Biological Abstracts, Current Awareness in Biological Sciences,Current Contents, Science Citation Index, and Zoological Record.

ISSN 0268-0130

2021 Impact Factor from Clarivate for the Herpetological Journal is 1.194, an increase of 0.332 from 2020.

pdf 07. Escalated antipredator mechanisms of two neotropical marsupial treefrogs

439 downloads

Open Access

Download (pdf, 20.20 MB)

pp. 237-244

Authors: Ricardo Lourenço-de-Moraes, Rodrigo B. Ferreira, Caio V. Mira-Mendes, Cassio Z. Zocca, Tadeu Medeiros, Danilo S. Ruas, Raoni Rebouças, Luís Felipe Toledo, Edmund D. Brodie Jr. & Mirco Solé

Abstract: The sequence and intensity of antipredator mechanisms may be displayed according to the risk of predation. We tested this hypothesis using two species of marsupial treefrogs from Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. We observed Gastrotheca recava and G. megacephala displaying nine antipredator mechanisms and three types of defensive calls. These behaviours were displayed in an escalated sequence from motionless (passive behaviour) to biting (the most aggressive behaviour). This diversified set of antipredator mechanisms may be related to the interaction between predator and prey at the local scale. The escalated sequence of defensive behaviours should be considered in future studies on anuran-predator interaction.

Key words: Amphibia, Atlantic forest, defensive behaviour, defensive call, Gastrotheca, Hemiphractidae

Download Access:

The latest 8 issues can be downloaded when logged in with a Herpetological Journal subscription membership.

Individual articles can be purchased for download.

Older issues and occasional Open Access articles are available for public download

Submissions:

For further information and submission guidelines please see our Journal Instructions to Authors

BHS Ethics Policy

Latest Issue

Folder Volume 34, Number 2, April 2024

IMPORTANT NOTE - JUNE 2020

Please note that as from Volume 31 Number 1 (January 2021) on, the Herpetological Journal will be available as an online publication only - the last print edition will be Volume 30 Number 4.

Aligning with this change, it is now no longer possible to purchase a subscription that includes a print copy of the HJ. All members who have existing HJ print subscriptions that remain active as at end June 2020 will receive the full four 2020 print editions. New subscribers or renewals after this time will only have option to subscribe to the online only subscription package. Subscription pricing has been amended to reflect the content changes.