A possible mutualistic interaction between vertebrates: frogs use water buffaloes as a foraging place

Mutualisms shape biodiversity by influencing the ecology and the evolution of populations and communities. For example, among many others, birds commonly forage in association with large mammals, including livestock, but so far no similar relationship has been described for amphibians. In this note...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Piotr Zduniak, Kiraz Erciyas-Yavuz, Piotr Tryjanowski
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Firenze University Press 2017-04-01
Series:Acta Herpetologica
Online Access:https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/ah/article/view/1801
Description
Summary:Mutualisms shape biodiversity by influencing the ecology and the evolution of populations and communities. For example, among many others, birds commonly forage in association with large mammals, including livestock, but so far no similar relationship has been described for amphibians. In this note we describe the association between the Marsh Frog (Pelophylax ridibundus) and the Anatolian Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in Turkey and provide possible explanations for the existence of direct relations between these representatives of two vertebrate classes. We hope that our note stimulates future research on this subject.
ISSN:1827-9635
1827-9643