Behavioural divergence during biological invasions: a study of cane toads (Rhinella marina) from contrasting environments in Hawai'i.

ABSTRACT: Invasive species must deal with novel challenges, both from the alien environment and from pressures arising from range expansion per se (e.g. spatial sorting). Those conditions can create geographical variation in behaviour across the invaded range, as has been documented across regions of Australia invaded by cane toads; range-edge toads are more exploratory and willing to take risks than are conspecifics from the range-core. That behavioural divergence might be a response to range expansion and invasion per se, or to the different environments encountered. Climate differs across the cane toads' invasion range from the wet tropics of Queensland to the seasonally dry climates of northwestern Western Australia. The different thermal and hydric regimes may affect behavioural traits via phen

SUBMITTER: Gruber J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5936961 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature