Cryptic Behavior Is Independent of Dorsal Color Polymorphism in Juvenile Northern Leopard Frogs (Rana pipiens)
DEAN A. CROSHAW
University of Michigan Biological Station, Pellston, Michigan 49769,
USA
ABSTRACT.-Animals that are susceptible to predation sometimes engage in
crypsis to conceal themselves
from predators. Such behavior often consists of background color matching
via substrate choice. Intraspecific color variation may result in differential
substrate preference among color morphs. I investigated this idea using
juvenile Northern Leopard Frogs (Rana pipiens), which exhibit
either green or brown background color. Both color morphs spent more time
on dark, concealing substrates than light, revealing ones and hopped less
frequently when located on dark, concealing substrates. Frogs did not
respond differently to green and brown fabric substrates, and they preferred
brown natural substrates over green ones. Because green and brown frogs
did not behave differently in any experiment, this study suggests that
juvenile Northern Leopard Frogs exhibit a generalized cryptic behavior
pattern independent of background body color.
SREL Reprint #2823
Croshaw, D. A. 2005. Cryptic behavior is independent of dorsal color polymorphism in juvenile northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens). Journal of Herpetology 39:125-129.
