Thermal dependence and individual variation in tonic immobility varies between sympatric amphibians

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Authors

BAŠKIERA Senka GVOŽDÍK Lumír

Year of publication 2021
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Journal of Thermal Biology
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Web https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.102896
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.102896
Keywords Amphibian; Antipredator response; Death-feigning; Individual variation; Thanatosis; Thermal reaction norm
Description Tonic immobility (TI) is an important antipredator response employed by prey in the last stages of a predation sequence. Evolution by natural selection assumes consistent individual variation (repeatability) in this trait. In ectotherms, which experience variable body temperatures, TI should be repeatable over a thermal gradient to be targeted by natural selection; however, information on thermal repeatability of this trait is missing. We examined thermal repeatability of TI in juveniles of two sympatric amphibians, smooth (Lissotriton vulgaris) and alpine (Ichthyosaura alpestris) newts. Both species showed disparate TI responses to body temperature variation (13–28 °C). While the proportion of TI response was repeatable in both taxa, it increased with body temperature in alpine newts but was temperature independent in smooth newts. Duration of TI decreased with body temperature in both taxa but was only repeatable in smooth newts. Our results suggest that a warming climate may affect population dynamics of sympatric ectotherms through asymmetry in thermal reaction norms for antipredator responses.
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