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Home / Equine Research Bank / PLoS One / The interacting effects of ungulate hoofprints and predatory...
PloS one2013; 8(11); e79496; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079496

The interacting effects of ungulate hoofprints and predatory native ants on metamorph cane toads in tropical Australia.

Abstract: Many invasive species exploit the disturbed habitats created by human activities. Understanding the effects of habitat disturbance on invasion success, and how disturbance interacts with other factors (such as biotic resistance to the invaders from the native fauna) may suggest new ways to reduce invader viability. In tropical Australia, commercial livestock production can facilitate invasion by the cane toad (Rhinella marina), because hoofprints left by cattle and horses around waterbody margins provide distinctive (cool, moist) microhabitats; nevertheless the same microhabitat can inhibit the success of cane toads by increasing the risks of predation or drowning. Metamorph cane toads actively select hoofprints as retreat-sites to escape dangerous thermal and hydric conditions in the surrounding landscape. However, hoofprint geometry is important: in hoofprints with steep sides the young toads are more likely to be attacked by predatory ants (Iridomyrmex reburrus) and are more likely to drown following heavy rain. Thus, anthropogenic changes to the landscape interact with predation by native taxa to affect the ability of cane toads in this vulnerable life-history stage to thrive in the harsh abiotic conditions of tropical Australia.
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Publication Date: 2013-11-08 PubMed ID: 24255703PubMed Central: PMC3821862DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079496Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research examines how the hoofprints of large animals, along with predatory native ants, impact the survival of young, metamorphic cane toads in Australia. The study concludes that the physical characteristics of these hoofprints, as well as interactions with native species, play a significant role in the toads’ ability to thrive.

Overview of the Research

  • The paper explores the complex interplay between habitat disturbance caused by human activities (specifically ungulate husbandry) and an invasive species, the cane toad (Rhinella marina) in tropical Australia.
  • The researchers focus on young metamorph cane toads. They studied how the toads interact with their environment – specifically the hoofprints left by cattle and horses- along with the presence of predatory ants.

Role of Hoofprints

  • The physical features of hoofprints left by livestock around water bodies provide a suitable microhabitat for the toads due to the cool, moist conditions. The metamorph toads actively choose these hoofprints as places to take shelter and escape extreme weather and conditions.
  • The formation of the hoofprints, however, can increase the chance of the toads’ death. In hoofprints with steep sides, young toads are more likely to fall prey to ants or drown following heavy rain. Therefore, anthropogenic (human-induced) changes to the landscape have indirect effects on the survival of these toads.

Interactions with Native Ants

  • The invasive cane toads also have to face predation from native ants (Iridomyrmex reburrus). The study found that hoofprints with steep sides make the metamorph toads more vulnerable to these predators, marking another important interaction between native species and invasive ones.

Conclusions of the Study

  • The research emphasizes that human activities and their induced changes to the landscape influence the survival of cane toads in this vulnerable stage of their life cycle.
  • This complex relationship points to potential ways to control the population of this invasive species, for instance, by changing livestock grazing patterns or managing hoofprint geometries.

Cite This Article

APA
Cabrera-Guzmán E, Crossland MR, González-Bernal E, Shine R. (2013). The interacting effects of ungulate hoofprints and predatory native ants on metamorph cane toads in tropical Australia. PLoS One, 8(11), e79496. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0079496

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 8
Issue: 11
Pages: e79496
PII: e79496

Researcher Affiliations

Cabrera-Guzmán, Elisa
  • School of Biological Sciences A08, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Crossland, Michael R
    González-Bernal, Edna
      Shine, Richard

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Ants / physiology
        • Australia
        • Bufo marinus / physiology
        • Cattle
        • Ecological and Environmental Phenomena
        • Ecosystem
        • Hoof and Claw
        • Horses
        • Introduced Species
        • Predatory Behavior
        • Survival Analysis
        • Temperature
        • Tropical Climate

        Conflict of Interest Statement

        The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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        Citations

        This article has been cited 1 times.
        1. Pelinson RM, Garey MV, Rossa-Feres DC. Effects of Grazing Management and Cattle on Aquatic Habitat Use by the Anuran Pseudopaludicola mystacalis in Agro-Savannah Landscapes. PLoS One 2016;11(9):e0163094.
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