Fading on the beach: pigmentation plasticity adjusts coloration to substrate type in coastal Western spadefoot toads.

ABSTRACT: Animal species exhibit a wide range of coloration and patterns, which are under strong selection and often linked to individual quality, influencing mate choice, recognition, signaling, and interspecific interactions such as predator avoidance. In amphibians, coloration can vary based on individual traits as well as environmental conditions, including the coloration of their environment. In this study, we described the dorsal coloration (body coloration reticulated by dark patches) in 676 Western spadefoot toads (Pelobates cultripes) from the French Atlantic coast, comparing color variations across different substrates. In addition, we assessed color change in 18 toads transferred between bright and dark substrates. We demonstrated that the dorsal coloration varies based on capture

SUBMITTER: Lorrain-Soligon L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12547091 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature