Abstract

PUETA, Mariana; ANDALUZ ARCOS, Nayan  and  PEROTTI, M. Gabriela. The feeding state of Pleurodema thaul (Anura: Leptodactylidae) tadpoles modulates the acquisition of a learning related to predation risk. Cuad. herpetol. [online]. 2017, vol.31, n.2, pp.83-91. ISSN 1852-5768.

Feeding state of animals modulates the antipredator response and could affect the acquisition of new information related to predation risk. Tadpoles commonly decrease locomotor activity as an antipredator response. We performed laboratory assays to study whether an associative learning process to recognize predation risk can be modulated by the feeding state of Pleurodema thaul tadpoles. A group of tadpoles were fed ad libitum and a second group was deprived of food for 36 h prior to the learning acquisition phase. In the acquisition phase a half of tadpoles from each feeding treatment was conditioned by exposition to amphipod injury cues paired with conspecific injury ones (Paired group). The remaining tadpoles received the same cues as those presented to the Paired group but separated 4 h in time (Control group). At the end of the acquisition phase all tadpoles were fed ad libi­tum and two days later we evaluated changes in tadpoles' activity when they were exposed to amphipod cues. Our results showed that tadpoles in the Paired group that were fed ad libitum prior to acquisition phase decreased their activity when exposed to cues from injured amphi­pods, but starved tadpoles did not decrease their activity. Starved tadpoles apparently do not generate any association between conspecific and amphipod cues as fed tadpoles do. Our results provide important information regarding how the feeding state of tadpoles may interfere with the acquisition of learning and affect, for example, early detection of predation risk.

Keywords : Anuran tadpoles; Associative learning; Fed state; Amphipods.

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