Behavioral Responses of Engystomops pustulosus to Rainfall After Drought.
Poster Number
11B
Faculty Mentor Name
Marcos Gridi-Papp
Format
Poster Presentation
Research or Creativity Area
Natural Sciences
Abstract
Tropical forests face shifting climate patterns and unpredictable weather anomalies as global warming intensifies. The túngara frog, Engystomops pustulosus, inhabits neotropical forests where rain is an almost daily event. It breeds in temporary pools of various sizes, usually formed by rainfall. The smallest pools dessicate during dry periods, which can become more frequent and prolonged as local weather patterns change. This study aims to inform how future droughts may impact the lifestyle of neotropical anurans. We exposed captive túngara frogs to two rain regimens and catalogued their behavioral responses. The high abundance of the túngara frog, and its tight dependence on rain, makes this animal an ideal model for the study of amphibian response to changes in local precipitation. Enclosures containing groups of twelve captive-raised frogs were exposed to simulated rainfall, then left to dry for 24 or 72 hours, after which they were misted to simulate rainfall with their resulting behaviors recorded for five hours.
Misted subjects show increased movement, emit sounds, and readily engage in conspecific interactions. For each type of activity, there appears to be a notable increase of frequency in the 72 hour drought treatments as compared to the 24 hour droughts. This trend indicates that túngara frogs may be willing to accept the higher risks of predation that come with movement, after longer drought periods have left them unable to breed for a time. This study aims to characterize this relationship between activity level and drought, and determine which activities experience the most significant changes. These results will fill a knowledge gap regarding how anurans change their behavior in response to altered weather patterns. This information will help direct the protection of more sensitive breeding areas and help prevent the loss of other, more endangered amphibian populations.
Purpose
The purpose of this work is to investigate how the Túngara frog alters its behavior in response to precipitation changes. It is my hope that this research will shed some light on how other amphibians will respond.
Results
None as of yet, final data has not been collected.
Significance
The significance of this research lies in its applications with global warming. If behaviors change when rain becomes more or less common, affected animals may become more vulnerable to predation. If we can understand how the affected animals will change their behavior, we can better protect their breeding areas and hopefully bolster their numbers.
Location
University of the Pacific, DeRosa University Center
Start Date
24-4-2026 11:00 AM
End Date
24-4-2026 2:00 PM
Behavioral Responses of Engystomops pustulosus to Rainfall After Drought.
University of the Pacific, DeRosa University Center
Tropical forests face shifting climate patterns and unpredictable weather anomalies as global warming intensifies. The túngara frog, Engystomops pustulosus, inhabits neotropical forests where rain is an almost daily event. It breeds in temporary pools of various sizes, usually formed by rainfall. The smallest pools dessicate during dry periods, which can become more frequent and prolonged as local weather patterns change. This study aims to inform how future droughts may impact the lifestyle of neotropical anurans. We exposed captive túngara frogs to two rain regimens and catalogued their behavioral responses. The high abundance of the túngara frog, and its tight dependence on rain, makes this animal an ideal model for the study of amphibian response to changes in local precipitation. Enclosures containing groups of twelve captive-raised frogs were exposed to simulated rainfall, then left to dry for 24 or 72 hours, after which they were misted to simulate rainfall with their resulting behaviors recorded for five hours.
Misted subjects show increased movement, emit sounds, and readily engage in conspecific interactions. For each type of activity, there appears to be a notable increase of frequency in the 72 hour drought treatments as compared to the 24 hour droughts. This trend indicates that túngara frogs may be willing to accept the higher risks of predation that come with movement, after longer drought periods have left them unable to breed for a time. This study aims to characterize this relationship between activity level and drought, and determine which activities experience the most significant changes. These results will fill a knowledge gap regarding how anurans change their behavior in response to altered weather patterns. This information will help direct the protection of more sensitive breeding areas and help prevent the loss of other, more endangered amphibian populations.
