Physiological and behavioral responses to novel saline conditions in an invasive treefrog

Abstract

Salinity can be an environmental stressor for anurans, as their highly permeable skin makes them prone to osmotic stress when exposed to saline conditions. However, certain anuran species have colonized areas near saltwater habitats, suggesting an ability to acclimate to saline conditions. Here, we evaluated physiological and behavioral responses to saline conditions in adult Cuban treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis), an invasive anuran found throughout Florida. To examine their response to salinity, adult frogs were maintained in two treatments simulating a freshwater (0.5 ppt) or brackish (8.0 ppt) environment for 6 weeks. To assess their physiological response to this potential stressor, all frogs were submerged in a brackish solution to quantify individual weight change every 2 weeks. We found that frogs maintained in brackish solution lost more weight at Weeks 2 and 6 when compared to Week 0, suggesting that salinity may be an environmental stressor for Cuban treefrogs. Yet, the weight change at Week 4 was similar to the pre-exposure period, which may indicate that constant exposure to salinity may alter their physiological response to saline conditions. To supplement the physiological analyses, we investigated avoidance behavior toward saline conditions by offering individuals a choice between freshwater or brackish environments. Our results showed that Cuban treefrogs chose freshwater environments more frequently and may thus avoid saline ones. This study reveals that salinity may induce plastic and avoidance responses in Cuban treefrogs, potentially allowing them to expand their range into areas typically stressful for most anurans.