Overland movement in African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis): empirical dispersal data from within their native range.

ABSTRACT: Dispersal forms are an important component of the ecology of many animals, and reach particular importance for predicting ranges of invasive species. African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) move overland between water bodies, but all empirical studies are from invasive populations with none from their native southern Africa. Here we report on incidents of overland movement found through a capture-recapture study carried out over a three year period in Overstrand, South Africa. The maximum distance moved was 2.4 km with most of the 91 animals, representing 5% of the population, moving ∼150 m. We found no differences in distances moved by males and females, despite the former being smaller. Fewer males moved overland, but this was no different from the sex bias found in the population. In labo

SUBMITTER: De Villiers FA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5683045 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature