CHEMICAL INTERACTION OF COMMON TOAD TADPO LES (BUFO-BUFO, ANURA AMPHIBIA) WITH TADPOLES OF OTHER ANURANS DWELLING THE SAME RESERVOIRS

Chemocommunications of B. bufo tadpoles with those of Rana temporaria, R. lessonae and R. arvalis was investigated. B. bufo tadpoles were sh own to be indifferent to conspecific and R. temporaria tadpoles; they escaped heterospecific chemical signals in case of the selection B. bu fo:R. lessonae; and they were attracted by those signals in case of th e selection water:R. arvalis. These results indicate that B. bufo tadp oles posses differentiated chemosensoric perception of the tadpoles of different species. There is a possibility for chemoreception to take a part in organizing biologically significant behavioral reactions in heterospecific interactions.