Authors:

Paula Galindo Moreno

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About Paper:

Amphibians are crucial for assessing aquatic ecosystem quality and providing biological control against mosquitoes that affect humans. However, amphibians worldwide are declining at an alarming rate with 50% of species threatened with extinction. Chytridiomycosis, a disease caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), is one of the primary threats to amphibians. Bd can cause epidermis afflictions and alter frog behavior, especially in environments where the temperatures are at 17-25°C. As a response to infections, cold blood organisms, such as amphibians, increase body temperature through the selection of warm microclimates ("behavioral fever"). Despite the understanding that thermal preferences play a vital role in amphibians ability to combat diseases, as higher temperatures enhance immune system effectiveness, the influence of sex on these preferences is not thoroughly known. This study aims to investigate the differences in thermal preferences between male and female frogs through field observations of multiple species in response to Bd infection. It is expected that female frogs may be more sensitive to the temperature in their environment due to their higher metabolic needs associated with energetically expensive reproduction. Therefore, female frogs in nature will exhibit a preference for higher temperatures that increase metabolism, and when infected with Bd, their preference for higher temperature ranges will be more pronounced compared to uninfected frogs and males. Studying the behavioral changes due to infection with chytridiomycosis in frogs is vital for the understanding and conservation of amphibians.

Source:

Purdue University / 2023

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Co-authors:

Paula Galindo Moreno