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Variation in reproductive characteristics of the stream frog Colostethus trinitatis on the island of Trinidad

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Clive P. Cummins  and
Mary J. S. Swan
Clive P. Cummins
Affiliation:
Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Monks Wood, Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon PE17 2LS, UK
Mary J. S. Swan
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, De Montfort University, Scraptoft Campus, Leicester LEI 9SU, UK
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Abstract

We compared reproductive characteristics of the dendrobatid frog Colostethus trinitatis at the Tamana cave in the Central Range hills and at five forest stream sites in the Northern Range hills of Trinidad. There were significant differences between sites in adult female body size, intraovarian clutch size (in absolute terms and relative to body size) and the size of tadpoles carried by male frogs. Clutch sizes ranged from 6 to 13 in the Northern Range samples and from 12 to 26 at Tamana. Adult male body size was similar at all sites. Tadpoles carried by male C. trinitatis at Tamana were significantly smaller (mean length 14.2 mm) than those carried by males at the five Northern range sites (mean length 16.4–16.7 mm). The smallest clutches and largest tadpoles were found at Mount St Benedict, where there was evidence of size-selective predation on tadpoles by fish. Tamana, where clutches were large and tadpoles small, differed from the Northern Range sites in terms of the physical environment (cave vs forest) and the abundance of invertebrates. We discuss possible ultimate and proximate causes of the differences in clutch size and tadpole size, particularly size-selective predation and availability of food.

Keywords

caveclutchColostethus trinitatisdendrobatideggfrogpredationreproductionRivulus hartistreamtadpoleTrinidad
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 11 , Issue 4 , November 1995 , pp. 603 - 618
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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