Evaluating group housing strategies for the ex-situ conservation of harlequin frogs (Atelopus spp.) using behavioral and physiological indicators

PLoS One. 2014 Feb 25;9(2):e90218. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090218. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

We have established ex situ assurance colonies of two endangered Panamanian harlequin frogs, Atelopus certus and Atelopus glyphus, but observed that males fought with each other when housed as a group. Housing frogs individually eliminated this problem, but created space constraints. To evaluate the potential stress effects from aggressive interactions when grouping frogs, we housed male frogs in replicated groups of one, two, and eight. We measured aggressive behavioral interactions and fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (GC) concentrations as indicators of stress in each tank. In both small and large groups, frogs initially interacted aggressively, but aggressive interactions and fecal GCs declined significantly after the first 2 weeks of being housed together, reaching the lowest levels by week 4. We conclude that aggressive interactions in same-sex groups of captive Atelopus may initially cause stress, but the frogs become habituated within a few weeks and they can safely be housed in same-sex groups for longer periods of time.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aggression
  • Animal Welfare
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal*
  • Bufonidae / metabolism
  • Bufonidae / physiology*
  • Conservation of Natural Resources / methods*
  • Housing, Animal*
  • Hydrocortisone / metabolism
  • Male

Substances

  • Hydrocortisone

Grants and funding

The authors conducted this research under the auspices of the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project, a partnership between Africam Safari, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Defenders of Wildlife, the Houston Zoo, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Zoo New England. The authors would like to thank the US Fish and Wildlife Service program Wildlife Without Borders, USAID, the Shared Earth Foundation and the Anele Kolohe Foundation for financial support of aspects of this program that made this work possible. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.