Reproductive Decisions under Threat of Predation: Squirrel Treefrog (Hyla Squirella) Responses to Banded Sunfish (Enneacanthus obesus)

We tested whether the presence of a predator (non-lethal effect) could produce patterns of prey distribution and abundance attributed historically to direct mortality. Sixteen experimental ponds (1,000 l cattle watering tanks) were established; eight containing seven enclosed banded sunfish, Enneaca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oecologia 2002-01, Vol.130 (1), p.157-161
Main Authors: Binckley, Christopher A., Resetarits, William J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amphibians
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Autoecology
Behavioural Ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Ecological competition
Eggs
Enneacanthus obesus
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Habitat selection
Hyla squirella
Oviposition
Oviposition sites
Ponds
Predators
Reptilia. Amphibia
Synecology
Tadpoles
Vertebrata
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Summary:We tested whether the presence of a predator (non-lethal effect) could produce patterns of prey distribution and abundance attributed historically to direct mortality. Sixteen experimental ponds (1,000 l cattle watering tanks) were established; eight containing seven enclosed banded sunfish, Enneacanthus obesus, and eight predator-free controls. Ponds were colonized by ovipositing squirrel treefrogs, Hyla squirella, and a total of 33,128 eggs and tadpoles were recovered from the experimental ponds. Significantly more eggs and tadpoles (94.8%) were recorded from the predator-free treatments. These data support an alternative mechanism, based primarily on maternal behavior, explaining classic patterns of anuran species composition across a landscape of breeding sites.
ISSN:0029-8549
1432-1939
DOI:10.1007/s004420100781