Artificial warming facilitates growth but not survival of plateau frog (Rana kukunoris) tadpoles in presence of gape-limited predatory beetles.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Global warming has been frequently demonstrated to increase growth rate in larval amphibians that have considerable phenotypic plasticity; this may lead to an increase in larval survival because large larvae are less likely to be captured by gape-limited predators. This study is to test whether warming could improve tadpole growth and thereby enhance the tadpole survival in plateau frog Rana kukunoris.

Methodology

We conducted an experiment involving growing tadpoles under two contrasting temperatures, i.e. ambient temperature vs. warming by 3.8°C, with and without their major predators--the gape-limited predaceous diving beetles Agabus sp. in eastern Tibetan Plateau, in a factorial arrangement. We recorded the survival and measured body fresh weight and morpholog

SUBMITTER: Zhao J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4048183 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature