The effect of heterospecific and conspecific competition on inter-individual differences in tungara frog tadpole (Engystomops pustulosus) behavior.

ABSTRACT: Repeated social interactions with conspecifics and/or heterospecifics during early development may drive the differentiation of behavior among individuals. Competition is a major form of social interaction and its impacts can depend on whether interactions occur between conspecifics or heterospecifics and the directionality of a response could be specific to the ecological context that they are measured in. To test this, we reared tungara frog tadpoles (Engystomops pustulosus) either in isolation, with a conspecific tadpole or with an aggressive heterospecific tadpole, the whistling frog tadpole (Leptodactylus fuscus). In each treatment, we measured the body size and distance focal E. pustulosus tadpoles swam in familiar, novel and predator risk contexts six times duri

SUBMITTER: Beyts C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10047633 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar-Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature