Chiu Chia-Te, Kam Yeong-Choy
Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan.
Zoolog Sci. 2006 Jun;23(6):501-5. doi: 10.2108/zsj.23.501.
We conducted a manipulative experiment to assess the homing of female Chirixalus eiffingeri to the nest. There were three experimental treatments and a control. For the control treatment, bamboo stumps were cut off at the base and reattached. In the first experimental treatment, when stumps were displaced 1 m, the proportion of stumps attended by females and the growth of tadpoles did not differ from the results of the control treatment, suggesting the 1-m stump displacement did not affect the nest homing of female frogs. In the second experimental treatment, when a bamboo stump was displaced 1 m and a new bamboo stump with tadpoles was put in its place, some females fed tadpoles in the displaced stump (3/12), but some fed tadpoles in the stump (3/12) at the original site. This finding suggests that the addition of a new stump confused the female frogs spatially, which resulted in females feeding the tadpoles in either stump. In the third experimental treatment, when a bamboo stump was displaced 1 m and a new stump without tadpoles was added at the original site, some female frogs fed tadpoles in the displaced stump (5/12) but some laid trophic eggs in the stump (4/12) at the original site, also indicating the female frogs were confused spatially. The overall results support the hypothesis that females rely on the spatial distribution of a nest stump, relative to other bamboo stumps, for nest homing to feed their offspring, and that stump location is an important cue to the nest homing of females.
我们进行了一项操纵性实验,以评估艾氏姬蛙雌性个体归巢至巢穴的情况。实验设置了三种处理方式和一个对照组。对于对照处理,将竹桩从基部截断后重新接上。在第一种实验处理中,当竹桩被移开1米时,雌性个体光顾竹桩的比例以及蝌蚪的生长情况与对照处理的结果并无差异,这表明1米的竹桩位移并未影响雌蛙的归巢行为。在第二种实验处理中,当一根竹桩被移开1米并在其位置放置一个装有蝌蚪的新竹桩时,一些雌性个体在被移开的竹桩中喂养蝌蚪(3/12),但也有一些在原位置的竹桩中喂养蝌蚪(3/12)。这一发现表明,添加新竹桩在空间上使雌蛙感到困惑,导致雌蛙在任一竹桩中喂养蝌蚪。在第三种实验处理中,当一根竹桩被移开1米并在原位置添加一个没有蝌蚪的新竹桩时,一些雌蛙在被移开的竹桩中喂养蝌蚪(5/12),但也有一些在原位置的竹桩中产卵(4/12),这同样表明雌蛙在空间上感到困惑。总体结果支持了以下假设:雌性个体依靠巢穴竹桩相对于其他竹桩的空间分布来归巢以喂养后代,并且竹桩位置是雌性个体归巢至巢穴的一个重要线索。