Home range and notes about social interactions in the poison frog Phyllobates vittatus (Anura: Dendrobatidae)

Abstract

Understanding animal movements is vital for gaining insights into species' ecological patterns, habitat preferences, and reproductive strategies. Studies in dendrobatid frogs have revealed that home range behaviours, particularly in species with male parental care, are closely linked to the distribution of reproductive resources. Here we focus on males of the poison frog Phyllobates vittatus, endemic to the southern Pacific of Costa Rica to determine males’ home range size and the degree of overlap between individuals of P. vittatus. Sixteen individuals were tracked using harmonic direction finder over 4–5 days each, revealing an average minimum convex polygon area of 55.7 m2 and a 50% kernel density estimates area of 26.75 m2. Overlapping areas indicated shared home ranges, possibly due to resource distribution. Contrary to prior expectations, we did not observe aggressive encounters between males tracked but we observed one aggressive event between two males carrying tadpoles. Notably, we observed a novel behaviour: a female apparently defending tadpoles from a perceived male intruder. These findings provide important insights into P. vittatus’ behaviour and space use, which are key to developing and implementing conservation strategies, especially considering its vulnerable status and the limited available data on this endemic species.