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Tadpoles respond to background colour under threat
#MMPMID29511273
Eterovick PC
; Mendes IS
; Kloh JS
; Pinheiro LT
; Václav ABHP
; Santos T
; Gontijo ASB
Sci Rep
2018[Mar]; 8
(1
): 4085
PMID29511273
show ga
The ability to respond to background colour is an important feature of species
that might benefit from background matching camouflage. Tadpole colour patterns
vary and could be associated with several functions, including defense. Because
tadpoles are exposed to a wide array of visually oriented predators, they
represent good models to study defensive colouration and associated behaviours.
We tested whether a potentially disruptively camouflaged tadpole with a dark body
crossed by yellow bars (Ololygon machadoi) is able to respond differently to
matching light and dark natural background colours and an artificial blue
contrasting background. We used a syntopic contrasting black tadpole
(Bokermannohyla martinsi) as a control, expecting it not to respond to background
colour in search for camouflage. Ololygon machadoi tadpoles chose light over blue
backgrounds under threat, as expected, however they did not show preferential use
of dark vs. blue backgrounds. Bokermannohyla martinsi did not respond to any
combination of background colours. Our results suggest that O. machadoi tadpoles
are able to respond to background colour, and may favor matching backgrounds
under some circumstances. The potentially disruptive colouration of O. machadoi
tadpoles may increase their repertoire of escape strategies, background matching
being one of the options to escape predation.
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