Effect of cutaneous stimulation on the development of misdirected wiping reflexes in skin-grafted Discoglossus pictus.

The frog, Discoglossus pictus, has been studied with respect to wiping reflex behavior developing after skin rotations performed at larval stages. Misdirected wiping reflexes were obtained only from belly skin-grafts placed on the animals' back; back skin-grafts on the belly failed to elicit any misdirected limb movements in this species. We found that misdirected reflexes occurred more readily in 3-week and older animals if not subjected to any previous test experience, than in younger naive frogs. Frogs that had been exposed to daily cutaneous stimulation between 2 to 4 weeks after metamorphosis showed a delayed development of misdirected responses.