Habituation in anuran tadpoles and the role of risk uncertainty

Abstract

The ability to learn in the context of predation allows prey to respond to threats by adjusting their behavior based on specific information acquired from their current environment. Habituation is a process that allows animals to adapt to environmental changes. Very little is known about habituation in wild animals in general and there are no studies on habituation in anuran tadpoles in particular. Here, we performed three experiments to investigate the behavioral response of predator naïve Pleurodema thaul tadpoles to repeated stimulation with two predation risk cues (injured conspecific and predator fed cues) which a priori provide different information regarding risk. Experiment 1 showed that P. thaul tadpoles habituate the antipredator response when undergo predation risk chemical cues from injured conspecific and that response is long term. Experiment 2 showed that P. thaul tadpoles did not habituate their antipredator response when exposed to cues derived from an event of nymph odonate preying on P. thaul tadpoles (predator fed cues). Experiment 3 specifically evaluated the risk imposed by each of the risk cues used in Experiment 1 and Experiment 2 and showed that the degree of perceived risk in tadpoles appear to be similar in a single experience with any risk stimuli. We suggest that the behavioral habituation of tadpoles in the context of predation could be modulated by the level of uncertainty associated with risk stimuli.