Tree frogs, geckos and piranhas, oh my!

Three rising Wooster seniors got their boots dirty (and wet) doing field work in Trinidad and Tobago this past summer. Zak Bradley (’14) sampled seventeen streams in Tobago and northern Trinidad catching oodles of freshwater fish. He will use DNA samples from these fish in an effort to fully document the biodiversity of freshwater fish on the island of Tobago and compare their similarity to that of the larger island of Trinidad. We had a blast catching fish both large and small in these tropical streams and even managed to catch a piranha (Astyanax bimaculatus) in the Curaguate River in Trinidad, a locality where this species had not previously been reported. Hard to see in the photo but, yes, they do have very sharp teeth!

DSCN2307

Sara Green (’14) studied the interesting and photogenic Tobago glass frog (below). Particularly, Sara was interested in seeing what environmental stimuli might induce premature hatching in glass frog embryos. In this species (as in most glass frogs), eggs are laid on leaves over hanging streams where the embryos will eventually drop to become tadpoles and continue their development.  Sara also made numerous observations on male parental care in this species. In the coming months she will be working to understand under what sets of conditions males provide care to their offspring and when they do not.

This male is both calling and attending eggs and embryos from previous matings.
This male is both calling and attending eggs and embryos from previous matings.

 

Grace Clemmens (’14) carried out a study of the Bloody Bay poison frog (a Tobago endemic, below) that involved recording the calls of males at numerous sites to examine the potential influence of anthropogenic noise pollution on their acoustic communication. This involved a lot of driving around Tobago (on the left-hand side, of course!) and listening for and recording males at as many sites as possible. In the process, we also collected data on the presence of this species from thirty-four sites that my students and I had visited previously in 2011 and 2012. Thus, we now have three years of data on the distribution of this species, which is currently classified as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.  No doubt, this information will be useful in the future to monitor the status of this imperiled frog.

A female Bloody bay poison frog (Mannophryne olmonae) from near Castara, Tobago

As for myself, I kept busy working on a number of other long term projects and helping these excellent students conduct their own. And I did manage to find a little time to enjoy the beautiful sunsets, ripe mangoes, tasty roti, friendly people, and local fermented beverages.

Looking forward to the next trip!

Wooster Biologists Present The Fruits of Their Labors

In July of this year, I attended the 2013 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At this fun and engaging conference on the biology of fish, amphibians and reptiles, I presented a synopsis of my recent research (with co-author Jessica Pringle ’13) on the Tobago glass frog entitled “Impacts of paternal care on offspring survival: An experimental study on a glass frog from Tobago, West Indies”. I was accompanied to Albuquerque by recent Wooster grads Meredith Eyre (’13) and Jess McQuigg (’13), who presented posters describing their I.S. research. Meredith’s poster was entitled “Exploring the microhabitats of marsupial frogs: A study of the forces driving habitat selection for Flectonotus fitzgeraldi on the island of Tobago”. Jess’ poster was “A reassessment of the conservation status of a critically endangered Neotropical frog (Mannophryne olmonae) using occupancy modeling techniques”.

In addition to hearing interesting talks, re-engaging with old friends, and meeting new colleagues, Meredith, Jess and I were able to sneak away from the conference for a half day. Departing Albuquerque at 5 am in a rental car, we drove south to the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. Arriving at daybreak, we hiked up to the top of the mesa (~ 4 miles round trip) and were treated to a spectacular view of the Rio Grande Valley to our east.

Beneath our feet, desert lizards were scurrying and above our heads desert birds were soaring. We were treated to views of black-chinned hummingbirds, scaled quail, Say’s phoebes, and blue grosbeaks, to name but a few.  A very nice addendum to a day in a conference hall!

Info and Advice for June 2013 Trinidad and Tobago trip

Hi all,

Below is some collected advice and information about our upcoming trip.  We depart June 2 (arriving late that night) and return June 13.  Zak and I will go to Trinidad from Tobago on the morning of the 1oth and we’ll all meet back at the Trinidad airport on the morning of the 13th. I’ll send you an email soon with the particular flights I’ll be on, so you can hopefully get on the same ones (once we know about your Copeland funding).

Before departing the US, make sure that you check out the Transportation Security Administration’s website for lists of items you cannot bring on a airplane or an airport and information on how to get through security with a minimum of hassle (http://www.tsa.gov/). When you arrive in Trinidad, you will have to fill out some paperwork to pass customs upon arrival. They usually hand out the forms before landing, so its a good idea to fill it out while you’re still in the air. You’ll need your valid passport, information on your flights, and an address where we’ll be staying. You can give the following: Castara Cottage, Castara, Tobago. Phone: 868-757-1044.

Upon arrival, we’ll probably change some US dollars for T&T dollars, get some cell phones activated, grab some coffee/breakfast and wait for our flight to Tobago.

Health and Vaccinations

Trinidad and Tobago poses relatively few health risks to travelers and no immunizations are required for entry. However, the Centers for Disease Control do recommend the following vaccinations: yellow fever, Hepatitis A and B and typhoid. The risk of all of these is small, especially in Tobago. Note that there is no malaria in Trinidad and Tobago. For those going to Trinidad, it’s good to have mosquito netting to sleep under as dengue fever is present on that island. It’s never a good idea to take unnecessary risks with your health, so check out the detailed information on the CDC website:
Also, don’t forget to bring any prescription medicines you take and make sure you have enough to last the whole trip. Keep them in their original prescription bottles and always in your carry-on luggage. Also, medicine for diarrhea and stomach upset is wise to bring along as these maladies are common (if brief). Lastly, wearing sunscreen and staying well hydrated can be important as we will be spending lots of time outdoors and it will be sunny and hot.
Note that if for some reason you will be arriving in T&T from someplace where yellow fever is present, you will need to provide a yellow fever vaccination certificate upon arrival at the airport. This will not apply if you are traveling from the United States.
Also, let me know if you have any serious allergies or have any dietary restrictions. We will be doing almost all of our own cooking and everyone will be expected to participate in this effort (whether that be cooking or cleaning up afterwards). Note that I am a vegetarian and while I won’t disallow meat at our meals, it may not be as frequently consumed as you may be used to.
Lastly, I advise the purchase of travel insurance for the trip. I’ll get back to you soon with a specific recommendation on that.

Things to Bring (or Not)

You do not need to bring your cell phone, we will have several that work in T&T, although you can bring it if you want. If you are considering bringing yours, call your provider and make sure you will have coverage outside the U.S. If you make a call to the US on the T&T phones, you’ll have to purchase minutes to offset that.
You do not need to bring your laptop, though you can if you’d like. Just remember, we’ll be in the field A LOT and laptops are easily be stolen. I will be bringing a laptop for research purposes and we will have wireless in our lodgings on both islands.
Other very useful items:
sturdy shoes for hiking (though for working along streams, I prefer a sturdy pair of sandals – they dry out much faster)
rain gear (breathable!)
flip flops or sandals
sunglasses
wide brim hat
alarm clock
headlamp or flashlight (+ batteries)
water bottle
backpack
binoculars
insect repellent (preferably one containing DEET)
digital camera (I’ll have a nice one along, but you may find a point and shoot handy)
if you are going to Trinidad, snake gaiters or just rubber knee boots is a good idea for protection against venomous snakes (in the unlikely event that we run across any)
T&T sometimes has different electrical outlets for plugging in electrical appliances than in the US. You will need an adapter if you want to plug in anything that you will bring with you. I will have several of these adapters for our use (that we will share) but if you foresee needing one of your own, get one and bring it. This is the model that I have: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000YN01X4/ref=pd_luc_mri?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=A3V6BK4D0HKA8F&v=glance
As for money, there are currency exchanges in both the Trinidad and Tobago airports. You can also use most ATM or debit cards to get local (or US) currency and these are fairly widely available. All banks in T&T will also change US dollars or traveler’s cheques (while some guidebooks advise against traveler’s cheques, I’ve never had a problem getting them cashed). Credit cards are accepted at some larger stores and locations but don’t expect street vendors to take your VISA, Mastercard or COW Card! Given all these options, don’t bother trying to get any T&T dollars before we go down.
I assume you know to also bring all of your necessary clothes, toiletries, prescription medications, etc. For clothing, I have found that a t-shirt or a thin long-sleeve shirt with lightweight (breathable) cargo-type pants is a good compromise. The pants are warmer than shorts, but protects your legs from scratches, mosquitoes, etc. Try to pack light – we really won’t be gone very long and we should have access to laundry facilities.
You also might think about getting a guidebook to Trinidad and Tobago, though this is not required. I like the Rough Guide to Trinidad and Tobago (the most current edition is the 5th) but there are also a few others out there that are also good.

Lodging

While in Tobago, we’ll be staying here (http://www.castaracottage.com/), Trinidad lodging is still being arranged.

Doting Dads Do Best?

On my recent trip to Trinidad and Tobago, I was studying the potential benefits of paternal care in the Tobago glass frog (Hyalinobatrachium orientale). My student Jessica Pringle, was the first to show that fathers who provide parental care to their offspring (in the form of egg attendance) get benefits in the form of increased embryo survival.

This male is both calling and attending eggs and embryos from previous matings.
This male is both calling and attending eggs and embryos from previous matings.

Why might this be? In following up on Jessica’s work, I found that eggs without male egg attendance were more likely to be eaten by predators and also more likely to dry out. More on this study soon!

New species of frog described from Madagascar

This week, my colleagues Franco Andreone, Frank Glaw, Maciej Pabijan, Miguel Vences and I published a paper describing a previously unknown species of frog from Madagascar (click here for paper).  This species is known so far only from Ranomafana National Park and its vicinity. This puts the number of known mantellid frogs from Madagascar at 201 – all of which are endemic to this remarkable island. By comparison, there are currently 108 frog species known from the entire United States. We named the new species Guibemantis tasifotsy; in Malagasy “tasy” means “spot” and “fotsy” means “white” and this refers to the typical series of white spots on the flanks of this small, green frog.

Lehtinen_Guibemantis_tasyfotsy_Fig1
Guibemantis tasifotsy

(Photos by Frank Glaw and Miguel Vences)

This new species is part of a lineage of mostly specialized plant-breeding frogs (subgenus Pandanusicola of the genus Guibemantis), however, current evidence suggests that the new species is a pond breeder (it has always been found calling near large swamps, not in the leaf axils of Pandanus plants as in the case with most other members of this group). Whether this is a retention of an ancestral condition or a reversal will be the subject of upcoming work. Several other unrecognized species are known or suspected based on current data. Look for additional species descriptions in the coming months!