Caldwell J P, Thorp J H, Jervey T O
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Drawer E, 29801, Aiken, S.C., USA.
Oecologia. 1980 Sep;46(3):285-289. doi: 10.1007/BF00346253.
Tadpoles of the barking tree frog, Hyla gratiosa, are abundant in spring and summer in some ponds and Carolina bays on the Savannah River Plant near Aiken, South Carolina. To determine how these tadpoles survive in the presence of predaceous salamander larvae, Ambystoma talpoideum, and larvae of an aeshnid dragonfly, Anax junius, we determined fields densities and sizes of the predators and the prey and conducted predation experiments in the laboratory. Tadpoles rapidly grow to a size not captured by Ambystoma, although Anax larvae can capture slightly larger tadpoles. Differing habitat preferences among the tadpoles and the two predator species probably aid in reducing predation pressure. Preliminary work indicates that the tadpoles may have an immobility response to an attack by a predator. In addition, the smallest, most vulnerable tadpoles have a distinctive color pattern which may function to disrupt the body outline and make them indiscernable to predators.
在南卡罗来纳州艾肯市附近的萨凡纳河工厂的一些池塘和卡罗来纳湾中，春季和夏季时，鸣声雨蛙（Hyla gratiosa）的蝌蚪数量众多。为了确定这些蝌蚪如何在捕食性蝾螈幼虫（Ambystoma talpoideum）和豆娘幼虫（Anax junius）存在的情况下生存，我们测定了捕食者和猎物的田间密度及大小，并在实验室中进行了捕食实验。蝌蚪能迅速长到蝾螈无法捕食的大小，不过豆娘幼虫可以捕食稍大一些的蝌蚪。蝌蚪与两种捕食者物种之间不同的栖息地偏好可能有助于减轻捕食压力。初步研究表明，蝌蚪可能对捕食者的攻击有一种静止不动的反应。此外，最小、最易受攻击的蝌蚪有一种独特的颜色图案，这可能起到扰乱身体轮廓的作用，使它们不易被捕食者察觉。
