Neotropical poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) display complex social behaviors. We studied home range behavior in Ameerega trivittata in the rainy season of two consecutive years at Panguana, Peru. Minimum convex polygon (MCP) and Kernel methods were employed. For the first time in the genus Ameerega, we found that females also occupied home ranges. Home range size in both sexes varied greatly and overlap was commonly found between and between sexes. Only a few specimens (both sexes) were rediscovered in the second rainy season, but always within the home range of the previous year. This finding suggests strong site fidelity but also a high seasonal turnover, which could be an indication of dispersal propensity. Maintenance and size of home ranges in males might be linked to individual fitness and the monopolization of resources (i.e., habitat structures) related to mating. Female home range behavior remains to be explained.
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1 December 2016
Male and Female Home Range Behavior in the Neotropical Poison Frog Ameerega trivittata (Anura, Dendrobatidae) Over Two Consecutive Years
Clara P. Neu,
Sarah S. Bisanz,
Josephine A. Nothacker,
Michael Mayer,
Stefan Lötters
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