ACTIVITY PATTERNS AND MICROHABITAT SELECTION OF MALLORCAN MIDWIFE TOAD (ALYTES-MULETENSIS) TADPOLES IN NATURAL TORRENT POOLS

Tadpoles of the Mallorcan midwife toad (Alytes muletensis) displayed a clear diel pattern of activity and microhabitat selection in torrent pools in Mallorca. Tadpoles spent much of the day foraging in a nonagg regated fashion in warm shallow areas, and activity peaked at 1700-190 0 hr. In mid-afternoon, however, when much of the water surface was in direct sunlight, tadpoles moved away from the shallows and formed agg regations under rock overhangs at the sides of the pool. Both activity and tadpole density in the shallows dropped dramatically after dark, when there was a movement of the population back into deeper water or hiding places.