Abstract
Differences in host behavior and resistance to disease can influence the outcome of host-pathogen interactions. We capitalized on the variation in aggregation behavior of Fowler's toads (Anaxyrus [ = Bufo] fowleri) and grey treefrogs (Hyla versicolor) tadpoles and tested for differences in transmission of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and host-specific fitness consequences (i.e., life history traits that imply fitness) of infection in single-species amphibian mesocosms. On average, A. fowleri mesocosms supported higher Bd prevalences and infection intensities relative to H. versicolor mesocosms. Higher Bd prevalence in A. fowleri mesocosms may result, in part, from higher intraspecific transmission due to the aggregation of tadpoles raised in Bd treatments. We also found that, independent of species, tadpoles raised in the presence of Bd were smaller and less developed than tadpoles raised in disease-free conditions. Our results indicate that aggregation behavior might increase Bd prevalence and that A. fowleri tadpoles carry heavier infections relative to H. versicolor tadpoles. However, our results demonstrate that Bd appears to negatively impact larval growth and developmental rates of A. fowleri and H. versicolor similarly, even in the absence of high Bd prevalence.
Highlights
Ecologists have focused on the effects of disturbance, competition, and predation when studying species interactions [1,2]
We focused on tadpole aggregations on the fiberglass pond margins because A. fowleri tadpoles are unlikely to aggregate on the floor of the tank because they avoid deep water
Transmission was low in our experiment, we observed intraspecific transmission in 4/8 A. fowleri mesocosms and 1/7 H. versicolor mesocosms
Summary
Ecologists have focused on the effects of disturbance, competition, and predation when studying species interactions [1,2]. Pathogens can directly affect host populations by causing mortality [6] or indirectly by altering life history traits, such as growth and developmental rates [7]. Sub-lethal infections can alter normal host behaviors such as feeding [8], antipredator [9], and thermoregulatory [10] behavior, each of which can shape the ecological interactions within a community. Hosts with promiscuous mating strategies may increase the probability of contact with an infected host [11]. Since pathogen transmission is one of the driving forces behind pathogen regulation of host populations [12], identifying how pathogeninduced changes in host behavior affect pathogen transmission is a central component of host–pathogen ecology
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