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Kaczmarski M, Tryjanowski P, Kubicka AM. Urban plums and toads: do fleshy fruits affect the post-metamorphic growth of amphibians?. PeerJ. 2019;7:e6337doi: 10.7717/peerj.6337.
Kaczmarski, M., Tryjanowski, P., & Kubicka, A. M. (2019). Urban plums and toads: do fleshy fruits affect the post-metamorphic growth of amphibians?. PeerJ, 7e6337. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6337
Kaczmarski, Mikołaj, et al. "Urban plums and toads: do fleshy fruits affect the post-metamorphic growth of amphibians?." PeerJ vol. 7 (2019): e6337. doi: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6337
Kaczmarski M, Tryjanowski P, Kubicka AM. Urban plums and toads: do fleshy fruits affect the post-metamorphic growth of amphibians?. PeerJ. 2019 Jan 30;7:e6337. doi: 10.7717/peerj.6337. eCollection 2019. PMID: 30723623; PMCID: PMC6359899.
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PeerJ. 2019 Jan 30;7:e6337. doi: 10.7717/peerj.6337. eCollection 2019.

Urban plums and toads: do fleshy fruits affect the post-metamorphic growth of amphibians?.

PeerJ

Mikołaj Kaczmarski, Piotr Tryjanowski, Anna Maria Kubicka

Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Pozna? University of Life Sciences, Pozna?, Wielkopolska, Poland.

PMID: 30723623 PMCID: PMC6359899 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6337

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The main aim of the study was to analyse the influence of fleshy fruits (plums) on the post-metamorphic growth and feeding behaviour of the green toad

METHODS: A total of 120 fresh metamorphs of the green toad were randomly assigned to one of four groups: two experimental groups with fleshy plums and two other groups as controls (without fruits). Each group was kept in an enclosure to which wild invertebrates had free access. Each individual toad was measured for snout-vent length (mm) and body mass (g) every other day for 30 days. In order to determine whether fallen plums influence the feeding behaviour of toads, the number of active and hidden (under an artificial shelter) individuals was also noted.

RESULTS: The results showed that green toads from both enclosures with plums were characterised by more rapid growth than individuals from the control treatments. Simultaneously, in the enclosure with fleshy fruits, greater species richness of wild invertebrates was observed. No differences in active feeding behaviour were noted between control groups and groups with plums.

DISCUSSION: Fleshy fruits, upon falling, attract many types of invertebrates; thus they may represent good dietary supplements for fresh amphibian metamorphs. Therefore, the presence of fruit trees close to a breeding site might influences the post-metamorphic growth of amphibians, but not their feeding behaviour. The presence of insects associated with fallen fruit seems to favour the occurrence of amphibian populations, which is particularly important, since, due to political and social pressure, numbers of fruit trees are currently being reduced. To our knowledge, no previous study has investigated the potential influence of the presence of fruit trees on the growth and behaviour of anurans.

Keywords: Anura; Bufotes viridis; Development dynamics; Fruit trees; Prunus cerasifera

Conflict of interest statement

Piotr Tryjanowski is an Academic Editor for PeerJ.

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