A. Laurila, Behavioural responses to predator chemical cues and local variation in antipredator performance in Rana temporaria tadpoles, OIKOS, 88(1), 2000, pp. 159-168
Antipredator behaviour is an important factor influencing survival probabil
ity of prey animals, and it may evolve rapidly as a response to changes in
predator regime. I studied antipredator behaviour of common frog (Rana temp
oraria) tadpoles from thrice populations that differ in predator regimes. I
n the first experiment, tadpoles obtained from four natural matings in each
population were subjected to chemical cues from either European perch (Per
ca fluviatilis) or from larvae of the dragonfly Aeshna juncea. Tadpoles dec
reased their activity in response to both predators, but the spatial behavi
our of tadpoles differed between the two predator treatments. In general, t
here were no differences in behaviours among the populations, but in three
out of four studied behaviours there were differences between parentages wi
thin the populations suggesting that these behaviours may be genetically de
termined. The lack of a significant Predator x Population interaction sugge
sts no differences in plastic antipredator behaviour among the populations,
while the lack of significant Predator x Parentage interaction suggests no
genetic variance within the populations for plastic antipredator behaviour
. In the second experiment, tadpoles from the three populations were expose
d to predation by a free-ranging A: juncea. In line with the first experime
nt, there were no differences in survival rate between the populations. R.
temporaria tadpoles seem to rely heavily on plastic antipredator behaviour
as their main response to predator chemical cues. There was very little ind
ication of local behavioural differentiation and the possible reasons for t
he lack of divergence among populations are discussed.