Chemosensory Perception of Predators by Larval Amphibians Depends on Water Quality.

ABSTRACT: The acquisition of sensory information by animals is central to species interactions. In aquatic environments, most taxa use chemical cues to assess predation risk and other key ecological factors. A number of laboratory studies suggest that anthropogenic pollutants can disrupt chemoreception, even when at low, non-toxic concentrations, but there are few tests of whether real-world variation in water quality affects chemoreception. Here we investigate whether chemosensory perception of predators by the gray treefrog, Hyla versicolor, depends on water quality. We evaluated the anti-predator response of anuran tadpoles housed in water collected from three sites that represent strong contrasts in the concentration and types of dissolved solids: de-chlorinated tap water, water from an impaired

SUBMITTER: Troyer RR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4482611 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature