Sole coloration as an unusual aposematic signal in a Neotropical toad
Rößler, D. C., Lötters, S., Mappes, J., Valkonen, J., Menin, M., Lima, A. P., & Pröhl, H. (2019). Sole coloration as an unusual aposematic signal in a Neotropical toad. Scientific Reports, 9, Article 1128. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-37705-1
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Scientific ReportsAuthors
Date
2019Discipline
Ekologia ja evoluutiobiologiaBiologisten vuorovaikutusten huippututkimusyksikköEcology and Evolutionary BiologyCentre of Excellence in Biological Interactions ResearchCopyright
© The Authors, 2019
Many animals have evolved remarkable strategies to avoid predation. In diurnal, toxic harlequin toads
(Atelopus) from the Amazon basin, we fnd a unique colour signal. Some Atelopus populations have
striking red soles of the hands and feet, visible only when walking. When stationary, the toads are hard
to detect despite their yellow-black dorsal coloration. Consequently, they switch between high and
low conspicuousness. Interestingly, some populations lack the extra colour display of the soles. We
found comprehensive support that the red coloration can act as an aposematic signal directed towards
potential predators: red soles are signifcantly more conspicuous than soles lacking red coloration to
avian predators and the presence of the red signal signifcantly increases detection. Further, toads
with red soles show bolder behaviour by using higher sites in the vegetation than those lacking this
signal. Field experiments hint at a lower attack risk for clay models with red soles than for those lacking
the signal, in a population where the red soles naturally occur. We suggest that the absence of the
signal may be explained by a higher overall attack risk or potential diferences of predator community
structure between populations.
...
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Nature Publishing GroupISSN Search the Publication Forum
2045-2322Publication in research information system
https://converis.jyu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/28904963
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Centre of Excellence, AoFAdditional information about funding
We thank Max N. Lorentz, Katrin Puffay, Matthijs P. van den Burg, Irina Nunes de Oliveira, Débora Newlands Souza, Camila Mesquita de Oliveira and Kristina A. Heitzer for help in finding populations and conducting field work. We also thank our colleague Luis Fernando Marin da Fonte for help with organization and correspondence with Brazilian authorities. We thank Wirley Almeida Santos for help in finding populations and organizing field work. Further, we thank Sebastião B. Sales for fieldwork assistance and Gilmar Klein for logistic support and facilities at ReBio Uatumã. Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio) for collection permits (#45165-2). Further, we thank Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for the infrastructure at the sites RFAD and ReBio Uatumã. The RFAD and ReBio Uatumã are part of the Programa de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade (PPBio) of the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI). We further thank Martin Stevens, Tim Caro and Jyväskylä Darwin Club for constructive criticism that significantly helped to modify an earlier draft of the manuscript. This study was partially funded by the Stipendienstiftung Rheinland-Pfalz (to D.C.R.) and the research fund of Trier University (to D.C.R.). ...License
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