Is there a right place? The effect of oviposition site selection on offspring survival in a glassfrog

Abstract

The choice of where to breed can have fundamental consequences for offspring development and survival. In amphibians, desiccation is one of the biggest threats to survival, especially in species that deposit their clutches in terrestrial habitats. In several species, hydration of the clutch is ensured by a caregiving parent, but in species without extended care, it might be the selection of a suitable oviposition location that helps secure a constant external source of hydration. We used Teratohyla spinosa, a Neotropical glassfrog without extended parental care, to test the effect of oviposition site selection on offspring development and survival. Previous observations have revealed that this species preferentially deposits eggs on the underside of leaves close to their margins. We hypothesized that T. spinosa strategically chooses this position on the leaves to ensure clutch hydration during embryonic development. To this end, we performed a clutch translocation experiment where we manipulated the location of clutches and compared their level of hydration, hatching time, and mortality rate to control clutches. We found that clutch hydration and mortality were not affected by the location on the leaf. These findings suggest that the oviposition site selection in T. spinosa does not affect clutch survival - at least under high humidity conditions.