Abstract
Amphibian habitat preferences have ecological, evolutionary, and conservation implications, but information on habitat use is scarce for most species, especially at the microhabitat level. Considering ongoing widespread amphibian population declines, baseline estimates of abundance are increasingly important for informing conservation, yet most species lack information on population size. We identified the habitat preferences and estimated abundance of the poison frog Mantella baroni in Vohimana Reserve, eastern Madagascar. We recorded microhabitat and environmental variables in 155 1 m2 quadrats along transects in forest valleys, on ridgelines, and in the middle between, surveying both during the rainy season and at the onset of winter. Using occupancy models, we identified leaf litter depth and the number of small trees in a quadrat as important habitat features. Deeper litter and fewer small trees increased the probability of quadrat use. Mean 24-h temperature influenced activity, with higher detection at warmer temperatures. Capture-mark-recapture models estimated 27 (95% CI: 22–49) and 197 (95% CI: 168–246) adult M. baroni individuals at each of our study sites. Our results provide the first information about habitat use for M. baroni, showing frogs select relatively open areas with deep litter near valley streams, likely due to the species eco-physiological requirements and reproductive behavior. Given that M. baroni is harvested commercially for the international pet trade, we anticipate that collection could impact local populations if it is not spread across multiple sites. In this regard, our results provide valuable evidence to inform ex-situ conservation efforts.
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Data availability
The data generated during the current study are available in the Illinois Data Bank at https://doi.org/10.13012/B2IDB-2234820_V1.
Code availability
Available on request.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by Parc Zoologique de Paris. We are extremely grateful to Olivier Behra and the NGO L’Homme et l’Environnement for help with coordination and logistical support at Vohimana Reserve, to local guides Martial, Jérôme, Rakoto, Gagah and Régis for helping in the field, and to Ethan Kessler for providing guidance on data analysis.
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This study was fully funded by Paris Zoo. The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority funded Devin Edmonds during writing and analysis.
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Conceptualization: OM and TR, Methodology: OM and TR, Investigation: TR, Data curation: TR and OM, Formal analysis: DE, Writing –original draft: DE, Writing – review and editing: All authors.
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Rasoarimanana, T., Edmonds, D. & Marquis, O. Habitat and local climate influence the activity and abundance of Baron’s Mantella frog (Mantella baroni). Evol Ecol (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-023-10272-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-023-10272-2