micro-Temperature Loggers - Amphibian Research

Project Overview

Leptodactylus insularum

Research has shown that minor temperature fluctuations can have a profound impact on amphibian behavior, activity, and development rates. For example, in frogs and toads, increased temperatures speed up egg and larval development rates, which can minimize the amount of time spent in these vulnerable stages. In warm climates, however, available microhabitats can quickly reach lethal temperatures, and animals must adopt strategies to balance these temperature requirements.

Kristiina Hurme of the University of Connecticut is studying tadpole growth and behavior in a neo-tropical frog, Leptodactylus insularum, in Panama. This large frog is unusually social, with tadpoles forming remarkably large schools of 4,000-5000 individuals and adult females attending and defending these schools. While the function of this attendance is not fully understood, females may be leading their offspring to different microhabitats with temperatures suitable for optimal development. Within the dense schools, tadpoles also regulate their behavior to maintain optimal temperatures; they actively feed in cooler, deeper water during the heat of the day, while minimizing their time spent in warmer surface waters.

System Description

DS1921G micro-T Loggers

Hurme is using NexSens micro-T temperature loggers to generate a thermal map of a temporary pond in an attempt to understand the temperature ranges that the adults and tadpoles prefer. These combined strategies of group living and female attendance enable the tadpoles to feed at high rates, thereby producing rapid growth and development. This may allow the frogs to breed in unpredictable and ephemeral habitats. Read more about this research here.