Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted descending) Filter |
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| serum and hepatic vitamin a levels in captive and wild marine toads (bufo marinus). | the captive breeding program for the endangered puerto rican crested toad (peltophryne [bufo] lemur) has been hampered by an undiagnosed condition called "brown skin disease" (bsd). toads develop widespread skin darkening, skin thickening and abnormal shedding and eventually succumb to a chronic loss of viability. this project evaluated the marine toad (bufo marinus) as a model for the prct, examining vitamin a deficiency as a potential cause of bsd. wild caught marine toads had significantly hi ... | 2014 | 25230391 |
| quantifying anuran microhabitat use to infer the potential for parasite transmission between invasive cane toads and two species of australian native frogs. | parasites that are carried by invasive species can infect native taxa, with devastating consequences. in australia, invading cane toads (rhinella marina) carry lungworm parasites (rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala) that (based on previous laboratory studies) can infect native treefrogs (litoria caerulea and l. splendida). to assess the potential of parasite transmission from the invader to the native species (and from one infected native frog to another), we used surveys and radiotelemetry to quanti ... | 2014 | 25188421 |
| visualising lymph movement in anuran amphibians with computed tomography. | lymph flux rates in anuran amphibians are high relative to those of other vertebrates owing to 'leaky' capillaries and a high interstitial compliance. lymph movement is accomplished primarily by specialised lymph muscles and lung ventilation that move lymph through highly compartmentalised lymph sacs to the dorsally located lymph hearts, which are responsible for pumping lymph into the circulatory system; however, it is unclear how lymph reaches the lymph hearts. we used computed tomography (ct) ... | 2014 | 25165132 |
| ortleppascaris sp. and your host rhinella marina: a proteomic view into a nematode-amphibian relationship. | the success of the helminth-host relationship depends on a biochemical molecular arsenal. perhaps the proteome is the largest and most important set of this weaponry, in which the proteins have a crucial role in vital processes to the parasite/host relationship, from basic metabolism and energy production to complex immune responses. nowadays, the bioproducts expressed by the parasites are under the "spotlight" of immunoassays and biochemical analysis in helminthology, especially in proteomic an ... | 2014 | 25161910 |
| proteomic profile of ortleppascaris sp.: a helminth parasite of rhinella marina in the amazonian region. | ortleppascaris sp. is a helminth that, in its larval stage, infects the liver parenchyma of the amphibian rhinella marina, resulting in severe physiological and pathological changes. this study used a proteomic approach to determine the overall profile of proteins expressed in a somatic extract from the nematodes to investigate the relationship between the parasite and its host. a total of 60 abundant proteins were selected from the two-dimensional electrophoresis, identified by peptide mass fin ... | 2014 | 25161903 |
| venomous and poisonous australian animals of veterinary importance: a rich source of novel therapeutics. | envenomation and poisoning by terrestrial animals (both vertebrate and invertebrate) are a significant economic problem and health risk for domestic animals in australia. australian snakes are some of the most venomous animals in the world and bees, wasps, ants, paralysis ticks, and cane toads are also present as part of the venomous and poisonous fauna. the diagnosis and treatment of envenomation or poisoning in animals is a challenge and can be a traumatic and expensive process for owners. des ... | 2014 | 25143943 |
| effect of atrazine and fenitrothion at no-observed-effect-levels (noel) on amphibian and mammalian corticosterone-binding-globulin (cbg). | this study determines the effect of atrazine and fenitrothion no-observed-effect-levels (noel) on the binding of corticosterone (b) to corticosterone-binding-globulin (cbg) in an amphibian and a mammal. plasma from five cane toads and five wistar rats was exposed to atrazine and fenitrothion at the noel approved for australian fresh water residues and by the world health organization (who). the concentration required to displace 50% (ic50) of b binding to cbg was determined by a competitive micr ... | 2014 | 25138046 |
| foleyellides rhinellae sp. nov. (nematoda, onchocercidae) a new filaria parasitizing rhinella marina (anura, bufonidae) in mexico. | a new nematode species, foleyellides rhinellae sp. nov. (onchocercidae), is described from specimens found in the body cavity of the cane toad, rhinella marina (linnaeus) (anura, bufonidae), in the laguna de coyuca, guerrero, in the pacific slope of mexico. the new species differs from the other nine species of foleyellides by infecting bufonid anurans and by the number and arrangement of caudal papillae. other distinguishing feature of the new species is the size of the left spicule (0.16-0.23 ... | 2014 | 25119363 |
| characterisation of major histocompatibility complex class i in the australian cane toad, rhinella marina. | the major histocompatibility complex (mhc) class i is a highly variable gene family that encodes cell-surface receptors vital for recognition of intracellular pathogens and initiation of immune responses. the mhc class i has yet to be characterised in bufonid toads (order: anura; suborder: neobatrachia; family: bufonidae), a large and diverse family of anurans. here we describe the characterisation of a classical mhc class i gene in the australian cane toad, rhinella marina. from 25 individuals ... | 2014 | 25093458 |
| interplay among nocturnal activity, melatonin, corticosterone and performance in the invasive cane toad (rhinella marinus). | most animals conduct daily activities exclusively either during the day or at night. here, hormones such as melatonin and corticosterone, greatly influence the synchronization or regulation of physiological and behavioral cycles needed for daily activity. how then do species that exhibit more flexible daily activity patterns, responses to ecological, environmental or life-history processes, regulate daily hormone profiles important to daily performance? this study examined the consequences of (1 ... | 2014 | 25063397 |
| invasive cane toads: social facilitation depends upon an individual's personality. | individual variation in behavioural traits (including responses to social cues) may influence the success of invasive populations. we studied the relationship between sociality and personality in invasive cane toads (rhinella marina) from a recently established population in tropical australia. in our field experiments, we manipulated social cues (the presence of a feeding conspecific) near a food source. we captured and compared toads that only approached feeding sites where another toad was al ... | 2014 | 25033047 |
| indirect evidence for elastic energy playing a role in limb recovery during toad hopping. | elastic energy is critical for amplifying muscle power during the propulsive phase of anuran jumping. in this study, we use toads (bufo marinus) to address whether elastic recoil is also involved after take-off to help flex the limbs before landing. the potential for such spring-like behaviour stems from the unusually flexed configuration of a toad's hindlimbs in a relaxed state. manual extension of the knee beyond approximately 90° leads to the rapid development of passive tension in the limb a ... | 2014 | 25030045 |
| realized niche shift during a global biological invasion. | accurate forecasts of biological invasions are crucial for managing invasion risk but are hampered by niche shifts resulting from evolved environmental tolerances (fundamental niche shifts) or the presence of novel biotic and abiotic conditions in the invaded range (realized niche shifts). distinguishing between these kinds of niche shifts is impossible with traditional, correlative approaches to invasion forecasts, which exclusively consider the realized niche. here we overcome this challenge b ... | 2014 | 24982155 |
| survey of helminths, ectoparasites, and chytrid fungus of an introduced population of cane toads, rhinella marina (anura: bufonidae), from grenada, west indies. | one hundred specimens of rhinella marina , (anura: bufonidae) collected in st. george's parish, grenada, from september 2010 to august 2011, were examined for the presence of ectoparasites and helminths. ninety-five (95%) were parasitized by 1 or more parasite species. nine species of parasites were found: 1 digenean, 2 acanthocephalans, 4 nematodes, 1 arthropod and 1 pentastome. the endoparasites represented 98.9% of the total number of parasite specimens collected. grenada represents a new loc ... | 2014 | 24960037 |
| immune response varies with rate of dispersal in invasive cane toads (rhinella marina). | what level of immunocompetence should an animal maintain while undertaking long-distance dispersal? immune function (surveillance and response) might be down-regulated during prolonged physical exertion due to energy depletion, and/or to avoid autoimmune reactions arising from damaged tissue. on the other hand, heightened immune vigilance might be favored if the organism encounters novel pathogens as it enters novel environments. we assessed the links between immune defense and long-distance mov ... | 2014 | 24936876 |
| net cardiac shunts in anuran amphibians: physiology or physics? | amphibians have a single ventricle and common conus arteriosus that produces an equal pressure to the parallel pulmocutaneous and systemic vascular circuits. the distribution of blood flows between the pulmocutaneous (qpul) and systemic (qsys) circuits (net cardiac shunt) varies with a number of environmental conditions and behaviours; although autonomic regulation of pulmonary vascular resistance conductance has been emphasized, little attention has been paid to the possible contribution of the ... | 2014 | 24902743 |
| miniaturized bioaffinity assessment coupled to mass spectrometry for guided purification of bioactives from toad and cone snail. | a nano-flow high-resolution screening platform, featuring a parallel chip-based microfluidic bioassay and mass spectrometry coupled to nano-liquid chromatography, was applied to screen animal venoms for nicotinic acetylcholine receptor like (nachr) affinity by using the acetylcholine binding protein, a mimic of the nachr. the potential of this microfluidic platform is demonstrated by profiling the conus textile venom proteome, consisting of over 1,000 peptides. within one analysis (<90 min, 500 ... | 2014 | 24833338 |
| repeated thermal stressor causes chronic elevation of baseline corticosterone and suppresses the physiological endocrine sensitivity to acute stressor in the cane toad (rhinella marina). | extreme environmental temperature could impact the physiology and ecology of animals. the stress endocrine axis provides necessary physiological stress response to acute (day-day) stressors. presently, there are no empirical evidences showing that exposure to extreme thermal stressor could cause chronic stress in amphibians. this could also modulate the physiological endocrine sensitivity to acute stressors and have serious implications for stress coping in amphibians, particularly those living ... | 2014 | 24679975 |
| effect of a punica granatum enriched diet on immunocompetence in rhinella marina. | direct ingestion of plant materials has been shown to have immunomodulatory effects on a variety of herbivores. studies have also shown that compounds ingested indirectly by predators through prey items can affect the general physiology of the ingesting organism. relatively little data exists, however, concerning the modulation of a predator's immune system via compounds obtained indirectly through prey. in this study, we sought to determine if the immune-stimulating properties of punica granatu ... | 2014 | 24664895 |
| the effects of the toxic cyanobacterium limnothrix (strain ac0243) on bufo marinus larvae. | limnothrix (strain ac0243) is a cyanobacterium, which has only recently been identified as toxin producing. under laboratory conditions, bufo marinus larvae were exposed to 100,000 cells ml(-1) of limnothrix (strain ac0243) live cultures for seven days. histological examinations were conducted post mortem and revealed damage to the notochord, eyes, brain, liver, kidney, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, and heart. the histopathological results highlight the toxicological impact of this strain, p ... | 2014 | 24662524 |
| acute thermal stressor increases glucocorticoid response but minimizes testosterone and locomotor performance in the cane toad (rhinella marina). | climatic warming is a global problem and acute thermal stressor in particular could be considered as a major stressor for wildlife. cane toads (rhinella marina) have expanded their range into warmer regions of australia and they provide a suitable model species to study the sub-lethal impacts of thermal stressor on the endocrine physiology of amphibians. presently, there is no information to show that exposure to an acute thermal stressor could initiate a physiological stress (glucocorticoid) re ... | 2014 | 24643017 |
| behavioural flexibility allows an invasive vertebrate to survive in a semi-arid environment. | plasticity or evolution in behavioural responses are key attributes of successful animal invasions. in northern australia, the invasive cane toad (rhinella marina) recently invaded semi-arid regions. here, cane toads endure repeated daily bouts of severe desiccation and thermal stress during the long dry season (april-october). we investigated whether cane toads have shifted their ancestral nocturnal rehydration behaviour to one that exploits water resources during the day. such a shift in hydra ... | 2014 | 24573152 |
| do invasive cane toads affect the parasite burdens of native australian frogs? | one of the most devastating impacts of an invasive species is the introduction of novel parasites or diseases to native fauna. invasive cane toads (rhinella marina) in australia contain several types of parasites, raising concern that the toads may increase rates of parasitism in local anuran species. we sampled cane toads and sympatric native frogs (limnodynastes peronii, litoria latopalmata, and litoria nasuta) at the southern invasion front of cane toads in north-eastern new south wales (nsw) ... | 2013 | 24533330 |
| modulation of synaptic vesicle exocytosis in muscle-dependent long-term depression at the amphibian neuromuscular junction. | we have labeled recycling synaptic vesicles at the somatic bufo marinus neuromuscular junction with the styryl dye fm2-10 and provide direct evidence for refractoriness of exocytosis associated with a muscle activity-dependent form of long-term depression (ltd) at this synapse. fm2-10 dye unloading experiments demonstrated that the rate of vesicle exocytosis from the release ready pool (rrp) of vesicles was more than halved in the ltd (induced by 20 min of low frequency stimulation). recovery fr ... | 2014 | 24489862 |
| cane toads and bush tucker: starvation ketoacidosis in a bushwalker. | 2013 | 24329662 | |
| prevalence, serovars and antimicrobial susceptibility of salmonella spp. from wild and domestic green iguanas (iguana iguana) in grenada, west indies. | cloacal swabs from 62 green iguanas (iguana iguana), including 47 wild and 15 domestic ones from five parishes of grenada, were sampled during a 4-month period of january to april 2013 and examined by enrichment and selective culture for the presence of salmonella spp. fifty-five per cent of the animals were positive, and eight serovars of salmonella were isolated. the most common serovar was rubislaw (58.8%), a serovar found recently in many cane toads in grenada, followed by oranienburg (14.7% ... | 2014 | 24325463 |
| size matters: insights from an allometric approach to evaluate control methods for invasive australian rhinella marina. | invasive species are costly and difficult to control. in order to gain a mechanistic understanding of potential control measures, individual-based models uniquely parameterized to reflect the salient life-history characteristics of invasive species are useful. using invasive australian rhinella marina as a case study, we constructed a cohort- and individual-based population simulation that incorporates growth and body size of terrestrial stages. we used this allometric approach to examine the ef ... | 2013 | 24261039 |
| the interacting effects of ungulate hoofprints and predatory native ants on metamorph cane toads in tropical australia. | many invasive species exploit the disturbed habitats created by human activities. understanding the effects of habitat disturbance on invasion success, and how disturbance interacts with other factors (such as biotic resistance to the invaders from the native fauna) may suggest new ways to reduce invader viability. in tropical australia, commercial livestock production can facilitate invasion by the cane toad (rhinella marina), because hoofprints left by cattle and horses around waterbody margin ... | 2013 | 24255703 |
| inhibition of the permeability response to vasopressin and oxytocin in the toad bladder: effects of bradykinin, kallidin, eledoisin, and physalaemin. | it has been shown by means of bentley'sin vitro preparation of the isolated urinary bladder of the toad,bufo marinus paracnemis lutz, that bradykinin reversibly inhibited the increase brought about by vasopressin on the permeability to water of the toad bladder. the increased hydro-osmotic response of the bladder to oxytocin was also inhibited by the kinin. the effect on water permeability was observed when bradykinin was added either to the serosal ringer's solution or to the mucosal solution. ... | 1971 | 24174237 |
| passive and active defense in toads: the parotoid macroglands in rhinella marina and rhaebo guttatus. | amphibians have many skin poison glands used in passive defense, in which the aggressor causes its own poisoning when biting prey. in some amphibians the skin glands accumulate in certain regions forming macroglands, such as the parotoids of toads. we have discovered that the toad rhaebo guttatus is able to squirt jets of poison towards the aggressor, contradicting the typical amphibian defense. we studied the r. guttatus chemical defense, comparing it with rhinella marina, a sympatric species s ... | 2014 | 24130001 |
| sight of a predator induces a corticosterone stress response and generates fear in an amphibian. | amphibians, like other animals, generate corticosterone or cortisol glucocorticoid responses to stimuli perceived to be threatening. it is generally assumed that the corticosterone response of animals to capture and handling reflects the corticosterone response to stimuli such as the sight of a predator that are thought to be natural stressors. fijian ground frogs (platymantisvitiana) are preyed upon by the introduced cane toads (rhinellamarina), and we used ground frogs to test the hypothesis t ... | 2013 | 24009756 |
| adrenocortical stress responses influence an invasive vertebrate's fitness in an extreme environment. | continued range expansion into physiologically challenging environments requires invasive species to maintain adaptive phenotypic performance. the adrenocortical stress response, governed in part by glucocorticoid hormones, influences physiological and behavioural responses of vertebrates to environmental stressors. however, any adaptive role of this response in invasive populations that are expanding into extreme environments is currently unclear. we experimentally manipulated the adrenocortica ... | 2013 | 23945686 |
| larger body size at metamorphosis enhances survival, growth and performance of young cane toads (rhinella marina). | body size at metamorphosis is a key trait in species (such as many anurans) with biphasic life-histories. experimental studies have shown that metamorph size is highly plastic, depending upon larval density and environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, food supply, water quality, chemical cues from conspecifics, predators and competitors). to test the hypothesis that this developmental plasticity is adaptive, or to determine if inducing plasticity can be used to control an invasive species, we ... | 2013 | 23922930 |
| rapid shifts in dispersal behavior on an expanding range edge. | dispersal biology at an invasion front differs from that of populations within the range core, because novel evolutionary and ecological processes come into play in the nonequilibrium conditions at expanding range edges. in a world where species' range limits are changing rapidly, we need to understand how individuals disperse at an invasion front. we analyzed an extensive dataset from radio-tracking invasive cane toads (rhinella marina) over the first 8 y since they arrived at a site in tropica ... | 2013 | 23898175 |
| changes in serum and urinary corticosterone and testosterone during short-term capture and handling in the cane toad (rhinella marina). | non-invasive endocrine monitoring with minimally invasive biological samples, such as urine, is being used widely for conservation biology research on amphibians. currently, it is unknown how closely urinary measurements correspond with the traditional serum hormone measurements. we compared urinary and serum concentrations of corticosterone (cort) and testosterone (t) in adult male cane toads (rhinella marina) using a standard capture and handling (short-term stressor) protocol. free-living mal ... | 2013 | 23851041 |
| evolution of dispersal and life history interact to drive accelerating spread of an invasive species. | populations on the edge of an expanding range are subject to unique evolutionary pressures acting on their life-history and dispersal traits. empirical evidence and theory suggest that traits there can evolve rapidly enough to interact with ecological dynamics, potentially giving rise to accelerating spread. nevertheless, which of several evolutionary mechanisms drive this interaction between evolution and spread remains an open question. we propose an integrated theoretical framework for partit ... | 2013 | 23809102 |
| antiproliferative activity of rhinella marina and rhaebo guttatus venom extracts from southern amazon. | the venom of amphibians is a fascinating source of active substances. in view of their medical importance and aiming to explore the amazing brazilian biodiversity, we conducted bioprospecting of antiproliferative activity in extracts of rhinella marina and rhaebo guttatus toads occurring in the southern amazon of mato grosso, brazil. lc-ms and hplc analysis of the venom extracts of r. marina revealed four bufadienolides (telocinobufagin, marinobufagin, bufalin and resibufogenin. r. guttatus veno ... | 2013 | 23796725 |
| seasonal dynamics of the lungworm, rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala, in recently colonised cane toad (rhinella marina) populations in tropical australia. | the impact of parasites on host populations depend upon parasite prevalence and intensity. understanding how infection dynamics change through time following a host population's initial exposure to the parasite is fundamental to host-parasite biology. we studied an invasive host (the cane toad, rhinella marina) currently undergoing range expansion - a process through which this host's range is expanding faster than that of its lung parasites (the nematode, rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala), such th ... | 2013 | 23747925 |
| evaluation of righting reflex in cane toads (bufo marinus) after topical application of sevoflurane jelly. | to evaluate the righting reflex after topical application of a sevoflurane jelly in cane toads (bufo marinus). | 2013 | 23718648 |
| cardiac performance correlates of relative heart ventricle mass in amphibians. | this study used an in situ heart preparation to analyze the power output and stroke work of spontaneously beating hearts of four anurans (rhinella marina, lithobates catesbeianus, xenopus laevis, pyxicephalus edulis) and three urodeles (necturus maculosus, ambystoma tigrinum, amphiuma tridactylum) that span a representative range of relative ventricle mass (rvm) found in amphibians. previous research has documented that rvm correlates with dehydration tolerance and maximal aerobic capacity in am ... | 2013 | 23619575 |
| a new species of mesocoelium (digenea: mesocoeliidae) found in rhinella marina (amphibia: bufonidae) from brazilian amazonia. | mesocoelium lanfrediae sp. nov. (digenea: mesocoeliidae) inhabits the small intestine of rhinella marina (amphibia: bufonidae) and is described here, with illustrations provided by light, scanning electron microscopy and molecular approachs. m. lanfrediae sp. nov. presents the typical characteristics of the genus, but is morphometrically and morphologically different from the species described previously. the main diagnostic characteristics of m. lanfrediae sp. nov. are (i) seven pairs of regula ... | 2013 | 23579798 |
| effects of multiple chemical, physical, and biological stressors on the incidence and types of abnormalities observed in bermuda's cane toads (rhinella marina). | the interactive effects of contaminants and ultraviolet light (uv)-exposure on the incidence and types of abnormalities observed were measured in newly metamorphosed cane toads (rhinella marina) from four bermuda ponds contaminated with petrochemicals and metals. abnormalities were compared in toadlets that were field-collected, reared in predator exclusion cages, reared in laboratory microcosms exposed to control media or corresponding pond media, and reared in laboratory microcosms exposed to ... | 2013 | 23526808 |
| analytical aspects of marinobufagenin. | marinobufagenin (mbg), a steroid compound belonging to the bufadienolide cardiac inotropes, is a molecule enjoying a growing interest in the early diagnostic of volume expansion-mediated hypertensive states. this endogenous mammalian cardiotonic and natriuretic bufadienolide (characterized by vasoconstrictive activities) inhibits the α1 isoform of na(+), k(+)-atpase, implicating it in series of pathophysiological circumstances such as volume-expansion, essential hypertension and preeclampsia. in ... | 2013 | 23470428 |
| two new species of oswaldocruzia (nematoda: trichostrongylina: molineoidea) parasites of the cane toad rhinella marina (amphibia: anura) from peru. | two new species of oswaldocruzia, o. manuensis sp. nov., and o. urubambaensis sp. nov. are described and illustrated from peru, these are parasites of the cane toad rhinella marina. o. manuensis is characterized by having cervical alae which are not well developed, ridges without chitinous supports, caudal bursa type ii and branches of fork of dissimilar length. o. urubambaensis is characterized by a caudal bursa of type i, ridges with chitinous supports, a thin cephalic vesicle and origin of ra ... | 2013 | 23377910 |
| evolutionary responses to invasion: cane toad sympatric fish show enhanced avoidance learning. | the introduced cane toad (bufo marinus) poses a major threat to biodiversity due to its lifelong toxicity. several terrestrial native australian vertebrates are adapting to the cane toad's presence and lab trials have demonstrated that repeated exposure to b. marinus can result in learnt avoidance behaviour. here we investigated whether aversion learning is occurring in aquatic ecosystems by comparing cane toad naïve and sympatric populations of crimson spotted rainbow fish (melanotaenia duboula ... | 2013 | 23372788 |
| the early toad gets the worm: cane toads at an invasion front benefit from higher prey availability. | in biological invasions, rates of range expansion tend to accelerate through time. what kind of benefits to more rapidly dispersing organisms might impose natural selection for faster rates of dispersal, and hence the evolution of range-edge acceleration? we can answer that question by comparing fitness-relevant ecological traits of individuals at the invasion front compared with conspecifics in the same area a few years post-invasion. in tropical australia, the rate of invasion by cane toads (r ... | 2013 | 23360501 |
| changes in cutaneous microbial abundance with sloughing: possible implications for infection and disease in amphibians. | the emergence of disease as a significant global threat to amphibian diversity has generated considerable interest in amphibian defenses against cutaneous microbial infection and disease. to date, however, the influence of sloughing on the susceptibility of amphibians to infection and disease has been largely overlooked. to investigate the potential for sloughing to regulate topical microbial loads, the abundance of cultivable cutaneous bacteria and fungi in the cane toad rhinella marina were co ... | 2012 | 23324420 |
| rapid identification of primary constituents in parotoid gland secretions of the australian cane toad using hplc/ms-q-tof. | toad parotoid gland secretion or toad venom has in recent years been increasingly shown to possess potentially beneficial pharmacological effects; this speculation has drawn much interest centred on elucidating the chemical basis of its multimodal effects. for this purpose, we explored the use of a rapid and accurate analysis method for systemic investigation of the parotoid gland chemistry, when extracted from australian cane toads. full-scan data of cane toad venom extract was acquired using h ... | 2013 | 23319165 |
| isolation breeds naivety: island living robs australian varanid lizards of toad-toxin immunity via four-base-pair mutation. | since their introduction to the toad-free australian continent cane toads (bufo marinus) have caused a dramatic increase in naïve varanid mortality when these large lizards attempt to feed on this toxic amphibian. in contrast asian-african varanids, which have coevolved with toads, are resistant to toad toxin. toad toxins, such as bufalin target the h1-h2 domain of the α(1) subunit of the sodium-potassium-atpase enzyme. sequencing of this domain revealed identical nucleotide sequences in four as ... | 2013 | 23289579 |
| front acceleration by dynamic selection in fisher population waves. | we introduce a minimal model of population range expansion in which the phenotypes of individuals present no selective advantage and differ only in their diffusion rate. we show that such neutral phenotypic variability (i.e., that does not modify the growth rate) alone can yield phenotype segregation at the front edge, even in absence of genetic noise, and significantly impact the dynamical properties of the expansion wave. we present an exact asymptotic traveling wave solution and show analytic ... | 2012 | 23214616 |
| cane toads lack physiological enhancements for dispersal at the invasive front in northern australia. | many invasive species have evolved behavioural and morphological characteristics that facilitate their dispersal into new areas, but it is unclear how selection on this level of the phenotype filters through to the underlying physiology. cane toads have been dispersing westward across northern tropical australia for more than 70 years. previous studies of cane toads at the invasive front have identified several behavioural, morphological and locomotory characteristics that have evolved to facili ... | 2011 | 23213366 |
| ochoterenella esslingeri n. sp. (nematoda: onchocercidae: waltonellinae) from bokermannohyla luctuosa (anura: hylidae) in minas gerais, brazil, with notes on paraochoterenella purnomo & bangs, 1999. | the waltonelline ochoterenella esslingeri n. sp., a filarial parasite of the anuran bokermannohyla luctuosa in minas gerais, brazil is described. several characters distinguish this new species from the 15 species presently included in the genus: the cuticular ornamentation of the female that is restricted to the posterior region of the body, the irregular arrangement of the small, rounded bosses, the postoesophageal vulva, the short glandular oesophagus, the size and shape of the microfilariae, ... | 2012 | 23193518 |
| cane toads on cowpats: commercial livestock production facilitates toad invasion in tropical australia. | habitat disturbance and the spread of invasive organisms are major threats to biodiversity, but the interactions between these two factors remain poorly understood in many systems. grazing activities may facilitate the spread of invasive cane toads (rhinella marina) through tropical australia by providing year-round access to otherwise-seasonal resources. we quantified the cane toad's use of cowpats (feces piles) in the field, and conducted experimental trials to assess the potential role of cow ... | 2012 | 23145158 |
| new species of parapharyngodon (nematoda: pharyngodonidae) in rhinella marina (anura: bufonidae) from grenada, west indies. | parapharyngodon grenadaensis n. sp. (nematoda: pharyngodonidae) from the large intestine of the cane toad, rhinella marina, is described and illustrated. parapharyngodon grenadaensis n. sp. is the 48th species assigned to the genus and the 16th species from the neotropical region. it differs from other species in the genus by possessing 4 pairs of caudal papillae, an echinate anterior cloacal lip, and a blunt spicule of 67-104 μm. this is only the second report of r. marina harboring a species o ... | 2013 | 23106786 |
| a new species of nematode (molineidae) from rhinella marina (amphibia: bufonidae) in guerrero, méxico. | oswaldocruzia lamotheargumedoi n. sp., inhabiting the intestine of the cane toad, rhinella marina (l.), in laguna de coyuca, guerrero, méxico, is described here. the new species differs from 10 congeners infecting bufonid hosts because it has a type i bursa. in contrast, 7 of these species have type ii bursa and 3 more a type iii bursa. the species most similar to the species described herein is oswaldocruzia pipiens walton, 1929 . these 2 species share traits such as body size, bursa type, pres ... | 2013 | 23098079 |
| host-parasite relationships during a biologic invasion: 75 years postinvasion, cane toads and sympatric australian frogs retain separate lungworm faunas. | invasive species may carry with them parasites from their native range, differing from parasite taxa found in the invaded range. host switching by parasites (either from the invader to native fauna or from native fauna to the invader) may have important consequences for the viability of either type of host (e.g., their survivorship, fecundity, dispersal ability, or geographic distribution). rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala (nematoda) is a common parasite of cane toads (rhinella marina) in the toad' ... | 2012 | 23060496 |
| comparative pathology and ecological implications of two myxosporean parasites in native australian frogs and the invasive cane toad. | myxosporean parasites cystodiscus axonis and c. australis are pathogens of native and exotic australian frog species. the pathology and ecological outcomes of infection with these parasites were investigated in this study. gliosis was correlated to cystodiscus axonis plasmodia in the brains of (9/60) tadpoles and (3/9) adult endangered green and golden bell frogs using ordinal regression. severe host reactions to c. axonis (haemorrhage, necrosis, and vasulitis) were observed in the brains of thr ... | 2012 | 23056175 |
| are baseline and short-term corticosterone stress responses in free-living amphibians repeatable? | amphibians respond to environmental stressors by secreting corticosterone, a stress hormone which promotes physiological and behavioral responses. capture handling can be used to stimulate physiological stress response in amphibians. the use of single blood sampling and presentation of mean data often limits the quantification of within and between individual variation in baseline and short-term corticosterone stress responses in amphibians. it is important for studies of amphibian physiological ... | 2013 | 23047053 |
| inverse urinary corticosterone and testosterone metabolite responses to different durations of restraint in the cane toad (rhinella marina). | non-invasive measurement of urinary corticosterone and testosterone metabolites in amphibians provides opportunities for endocrine studies of responses to physiological and psychological stressors. typically, corticosterone metabolite concentrations increase in frog urine within 1-2h of a mild capture and handling stress protocol. however, no study has investigated the effect of duration of manual restraint on the changes in corticosterone and reproductive hormones in amphibians. we quantified u ... | 2012 | 23036735 |
| prevalence of salmonella spp. in cane toads (bufo marinus) from grenada, west indies, and their antimicrobial susceptibility. | cloacal swabs and caecal contents sampled from 58 cane toads (bufo marinus) in st george's parish, grenada, during a 7-month period in 2011 were examined by an enrichment and selective culture method for presence of salmonella spp. twenty-four (41%) toads were positive for salmonella spp. of which eight were salmonella enterica serovar javiana, and eight were s. enterica serovar rubislaw. the other serovars were as follows: montevideo, 6; arechavaleta, 1; and serovar: iv:43:-:-, 1. the high freq ... | 2013 | 23035820 |
| liver histopathology in the cane toad, rhinella marina (amphibia: bufonidae), induced by ortleppascaris sp. larvae (nematoda: ascarididae). | exposure to parasites is considered to be an important factor in the development of many diseases and histopathologies which are the result of the parasite-host interaction. the present study evaluated the impact of natural infection by larvae of ortleppascaris sp. (nematoda: ascaridida) in the liver of the cane toad rhinella marina (linnaeus, 1758). larvae were encysted in nodules delimited by collagenous fibers and fibroblasts or freely within the hepatic parenchyma, provoking a clear response ... | 2013 | 22989059 |
| morphological and molecular characterization of ortleppascaris sp. larvae, parasites of the cane toad rhinella marina from eastern amazonia. | this study presents a new record for the occurrence of larval ortleppascaris sp.(sprent, 1978). the nematodes were collected from inside fibrous cysts found in the livers of cane toads, rhinella marina (linnaeus, 1758), captured in eastern brazilian amazonia. this is the first record of ortleppascaris sp. larvae in both brazil and this amphibian host, increasing its distribution in south america as well as expanding the number of helminths known to infect this toad. the detailed description of o ... | 2013 | 22924910 |
| optimisation of an oviposition protocol employing human chorionic and pregnant mare serum gonadotropins in the barred frog mixophyes fasciolatus (myobatrachidae). | protocols for the hormonal induction of ovulation and oviposition are essential tools for managing threatened amphibians with assisted reproduction, but responses vary greatly between species and even broad taxon groups. consequently, it is necessary to assess effectiveness of such protocols in representative species when new taxa become targets for induction. the threatened genus mixophyes (family myobatrachidae) has amongst the highest proportion of endangered species of all the australian amp ... | 2012 | 22909256 |
| size and sex matter: infection dynamics of an invading parasite (the pentastome raillietiella frenatus) in an invading host (the cane toad rhinella marina). | correlations between host phenotype and vulnerability to parasites can clarify the processes that enhance rates of parasitism, and the effects of parasites on their hosts. we studied an invasive parasite (the pentastome raillietiella frenatus, subclass pentastomida, order cephalobaenida) infecting a new host (the invasive cane toad rhinella marina), in tropical australia. we dissected toads over a 27-month period to investigate seasonal changes in pentastome population dynamics and establish whi ... | 2012 | 22814124 |
| aerobic scope and cardiovascular oxygen transport is not compromised at high temperatures in the toad rhinella marina. | numerous recent studies convincingly correlate the upper thermal tolerance limit of aquatic ectothermic animals to reduced aerobic scope, and ascribe the decline in aerobic scope to failure of the cardiovascular system at high temperatures. in the present study we investigate whether this 'aerobic scope model' applies to an air-breathing and semi-terrestrial vertebrate rhinella marina (formerly bufo marinus). to quantify aerobic scope, we measured resting and maximal rate of oxygen consumption a ... | 2012 | 22771750 |
| the effect of three anaesthetic protocols on the stress response in cane toads (rhinella marina). | three anaesthetics (ms222, clove oil and a mixture of ketamine/diazepam) were administered to cane toads to determine their effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (hpa) axis. time to induction and recovery and any adverse events were also evaluated. | 2012 | 22765650 |
| effects of temperature on urinary corticosterone metabolite responses to short-term capture and handling stress in the cane toad (rhinella marina). | extreme temperature can cause metabolic, immune and behavioural changes in amphibians. short-term stress hormonal response via increased secretion of corticosterone enables amphibians to make necessary physiological and behavioural adjustments for coping with stressors. the effect of temperature on short-term corticosterone responses has not been studied in amphibians. in this study, this relationship was evaluated in adult male cane toads (rhinella marina). we acclimated male toads (n=24 toads ... | 2012 | 22728158 |
| corticosterone-immune interactions during captive stress in invading australian cane toads (rhinella marina). | vertebrates cope with physiological challenges using two major mechanisms: the immune system and the hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal axis (e.g., the glucocorticoid stress response). because the two systems are tightly integrated, we need simultaneous studies of both systems, in a range of species, to understand how vertebrates respond to novel challenges. to clarify how glucocorticoids modulate the amphibian immune system, we measured three immune parameters and plasma corticosterone (cort), befo ... | 2012 | 22713726 |
| exploiting intraspecific competitive mechanisms to control invasive cane toads (rhinella marina). | if invasive species use chemical weapons to suppress the viability of conspecifics, we may be able to exploit those species-specific chemical cues for selective control of the invader. cane toads (rhinella marina) are spreading through tropical australia, with negative effects on native species. the tadpoles of cane toads eliminate intraspecific competitors by locating and consuming newly laid eggs. our laboratory trials show that tadpoles find those eggs by searching for the powerful bufadienol ... | 2012 | 22696528 |
| blood lead levels, δ-alad inhibition, and hemoglobin content in blood of giant toad (rhinella marina) to assess lead exposure in three areas surrounding an industrial complex in coatzacoalcos, veracruz, mexico. | the coatzacoalcos region in veracruz, mexico houses one of the most important industrial complexes in mexico and latin america. lead is an ubiquitous environmental pollutant which represents a great risk to human health and ecosystems. amphibian populations have been recognized as biomonitors of changes in environmental conditions. the purpose of this research is to measure exposure to lead and evaluate hematological and biochemical effects in specimens of giant toads (rhinella marina) taken fro ... | 2013 | 22580791 |
| urinary corticosterone metabolite responses to capture and handling in two closely related species of free-living fijian frogs. | studies of baseline (unstressed) and short-term corticosterone stress responses in free-living amphibians can provide crucial information on the physiological responses of different populations to environmental change. in this study, we compared baseline and urinary corticosterone metabolite responses of free-living adult males and females of two closely related fijian frogs of the platymantis genus (family: ceratobatrachidae). fijian ground frogs (platymantis vitiana) live on the ground while f ... | 2012 | 22387322 |
| interacting impacts of invasive plants and invasive toads on native lizards. | the ecological impacts of an invasive species may be reduced by prior invasions if selective pressures imposed by earlier events preadapt the native biota to deal with the newer arrival. in northwestern australia, invasion of the cane toad (rhinella marina) kills many native predators if they ingest the highly toxic toads. remarkably, the toads' defensive toxins (bufadienolides) are chemically similar to those of another invasive species: an ornamental plant from madagascar, bryophyllum spp. (cr ... | 2012 | 22322228 |
| rapid evolution of parasite life history traits on an expanding range-edge. | parasites of invading species undergoing range advance may be exposed to powerful new selective forces. low host density in range-edge populations hampers parasite transmission, requiring the parasite to survive longer periods in the external environment before encountering a potential host. these conditions should favour evolutionary shifts in offspring size to maximise parasite transmission. we conducted a common-garden experiment to compare life history traits among seven populations of the n ... | 2012 | 22313589 |
| ontogenetic shifts in a prey's chemical defences influence feeding responses of a snake predator. | foraging theory suggests that predator responses to potential prey should be influenced by prey chemical defences, but the effects of ontogenetic variation in such defences on prey vulnerability to predators remain unclear. cane toads (rhinella marina) are toxic to anurophagous snakes, including the keelback (tropidonophis mairii, a natricine colubrid that occurs within the toads' invasive range in australia). toxin levels and diversity change through toad ontogeny, decreasing from the egg stage ... | 2012 | 22302513 |
| new species of myxosporea from frogs and resurrection of the genus cystodiscus lutz, 1889 for species with myxospores in gallbladders of amphibians. | two new myxosporean species in the gallbladders of frogs have recently spread across eastern australia and cause disease. cystodiscus axonis sp. n. and cystodiscus australis sp. n. are species of myxosporea (myxozoa) identified from a range of australian frogs and tadpoles including the introduced cane toad (rhinella marina). the new species are defined by their distinct genetic lineage, myxospore morphology and ultrastructure of the pre-sporogonic development. spores of both species are produce ... | 2012 | 22260881 |
| Prevalence and multilocus genotyping of Giardia from animals at the zoo of Poznan, Poland. | In this study total of 266 fecal samples from 242 animals belonging to 113 species kept in the Poznan Zoological Garden were examined for Giardia. The cysts of Giardia were found only in five samples of feces collected from a giant toad (Bufo marinus), tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla) and three individuals of cactus mouse (Peromyscus eremicus). Fragments of beta-giardin (bg), triose phosphate isomerase (tpi) and glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) genes were successfully amplified only from the Giardi ... | 2011 | 22165739 |
| individual variation and repeatability in urinary corticosterone metabolite responses to capture in the cane toad (rhinella marina). | urinary corticosterone metabolite enzyme-immunoassay (eia) can be used for the non-invasive assessment of baseline levels and corticosterone responses in amphibians. in this study, urinary corticosterone responses of wild male cane toads (rhinella marina) to confinement and repeated handling were measured to quantify individual variation in corticosterone responses for the first time in an amphibian species. urine samples were collected at 0 h in the wild, hourly from 2 to 8 h after transfer int ... | 2012 | 22137908 |
| desiccation risk drives the spatial ecology of an invasive anuran (rhinella marina) in the australian semi-desert. | some invasive species flourish in places that impose challenges very different from those faced in their native geographic ranges. cane toads (rhinella marina) are native to tropical and subtropical habitats of south and central america, but have colonised extremely arid regions over the course of their australian invasion. we radio-tracked 44 adult cane toads at a semi-arid invasion front to investigate how this invasive anuran has managed to expand its geographic range into arid areas that lie ... | 2011 | 22043300 |
| lanfrediella amphicirrus gen. nov. sp. nov. nematotaeniidae (cestoda: cyclophyllidea), a tapeworm parasite of rhinella marina (linnaeus, 1758) (amphibia: bufonidae). | the family nematotaeniidae, tapeworms commonly found in the small intestines of amphibians and reptiles, includes 27 recognised species distributed among four genera: bitegmen jones, cylindrotaenia jewell, distoichometra dickey and nematotaenia lühe. the taxonomy of these cestodes is poorly defined, due in part to the difficulties of observing many anatomical traits. this study presents and describes a new genus and species of nematotaeniid parasite found in cane toads (rhinella marina) from eas ... | 2011 | 22012220 |
| using combined morphological, allometric and molecular approaches to identify species of the genus raillietiella (pentastomida). | taxonomic studies of parasites can be severely compromised if the host species affects parasite morphology; an uncritical analysis might recognize multiple taxa simply because of phenotypically plastic responses of parasite morphology to host physiology. pentastomids of the genus raillietiella are endoparasitic crustaceans primarily infecting the respiratory system of carnivorous reptiles, but also recorded from bufonid anurans. the delineation of pentastomids at the generic level is clear, but ... | 2011 | 21949796 |
| urinary corticosterone responses to capture and toe-clipping in the cane toad (rhinella marina) indicate that toe-clipping is a stressor for amphibians. | toe-clipping, the removal of one or more toes, is a common method used to individually mark free-living animals. whilst this method is widely used in studies of amphibians, the appropriateness of the method, and its potential detrimental effects have been the subject of debate. here, we provide for the first time, evidence that toe-clipping is a stressor in a wild amphibian. we measured urinary corticosterone responses of male cane toads (rhinella marina) to capture and handling only, and to toe ... | 2011 | 21945118 |
| hybridization and massive mtdna unidirectional introgression between the closely related neotropical toads rhinella marina and r. schneideri inferred from mtdna and nuclear markers. | the classical perspective that interspecific hybridization in animals is rare has been changing due to a growing list of empirical examples showing the occurrence of gene flow between closely related species. using sequence data from cyt b mitochondrial gene and three intron nuclear genes (rpl9, c-myc, and rpl3) we investigated patterns of nucleotide polymorphism and divergence between two closely related toad species r. marina and r. schneideri. by comparing levels of differentiation at nuclear ... | 2011 | 21939538 |
| pulmonary compliance and lung volume varies with ecomorphology in anuran amphibians: implications for ventilatory-assisted lymph flux. | vertical movement of lymph from ventral regions to the dorsally located lymph hearts in anurans is accomplished by specialized skeletal muscles working in concert with lung ventilation. we hypothesize that more terrestrial species with greater lymph mobilization capacities and higher lymph flux rates will have larger lung volumes and higher pulmonary compliance than more semi-aquatic or aquatic species. we measured in situ mean and maximal compliance (δvolume/δpressure), distensibility (%δvolume ... | 2011 | 21900475 |
| embryonic exposure to conspecific chemicals suppresses cane toad growth and survival. | adaptations to suppress the viability of conspecifics may provide novel ways to control invasive taxa. the spread of cane toads (rhinella marina) through tropical australia has had severe ecological impacts, stimulating a search for biocontrol. our experiments show that cane toad tadpoles produce waterborne chemical cues that suppress the viability of conspecifics encountering those cues during embryonic development. brief (72 h) exposure to these cues in the egg and post-hatching phases massive ... | 2012 | 21880623 |
| percutaneous malathion absorption by anuran skin in flow-through diffusion cells. | there is increased concern about the sublethal effects of organophosphorous (op) compounds on human and animal health, including the potential role of op compounds in the global decline of amphibian populations. malathion is one of the most widely used op pesticides with numerous agricultural and therapeutic applications, and exposure to environmentally applied malathion can lead to adverse systemic effects in anurans. cutaneous absorption is considered a potentially important route of environme ... | 2006 | 21783718 |
| urinary corticosterone metabolite responses to capture and captivity in the cane toad (rhinella marina). | urinary corticosterone metabolite responses to capture have recently been shown for the first time in amphibians, and in the present study urinary corticosterone metabolite responses to capture and to confinement in captivity were measured in adult cane toads (rhinella marina) in queensland, australia. an adrenocorticotropic hormone (acth) challenge was used to provide a biological validation for urinary corticosterone metabolite concentrations measured by radioimmunoassay (ria). urinary cortico ... | 2011 | 21756910 |
| rhabdias paraensis sp. nov.: a parasite of the lungs of rhinella marina (amphibia: bufonidae) from brazilian amazonia. | the nematode parasites of rhinella marina include species of the genus rhabdias (rhabdiasidae: rhabditoidea). the present study describes rhabdias paraensis sp. nov., which parasitizes the lungs of r. marina in brazilian amazonia. of the more than 70 known species of this genus, 18 are parasites of bufonids, of which, eight are neotropical. the new species described here is similar to rhabdias alabialis in the absence of lips is different by the presence of conspicuous cephalic papillae. we desc ... | 2011 | 21739030 |
| the effects of experimentally infecting australian tree frogs with lungworms (rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala) from invasive cane toads. | invasive species may transmit novel pathogens to native taxa, and lacking a history of coevolutionary interactions with the pathogen, the new hosts may be severely affected. cane toads (bufo marinus) were introduced to australia in 1935, bringing with them a lungworm (rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala) not found in australian frogs. previous studies suggest that most frog species are unaffected by this parasite, but one tree-frog (litoria caerulea) can harbour high numbers of lungworm. more detailed ... | 2011 | 21624371 |
| the ecological impact of invasive cane toads on tropical snakes: field data do not support laboratory-based predictions. | predicting which species will be affected by an invasive taxon is critical to developing conservation priorities, but this is a difficult task. a previous study on the impact of invasive cane toads (bufo marinus) on australian snakes attempted to predict vulnerability a priori based on the assumptions that any snake species that eats frogs, and is vulnerable to toad toxins, may be at risk from the toad invasion. we used time-series analyses to evaluate the accuracy of that prediction, based on > ... | 2011 | 21618921 |
| combining genetic, historical and geographical data to reconstruct the dynamics of bioinvasions: application to the cane toad bufo marinus. | we developed a spatially explicit model of a bioinvasion and used an approximate bayesian computation (abc) framework to make various inferences from a combination of genetic (microsatellite genotypes), historical (first observation dates) and geographical (spatial coordinates of introduction and sampled sites) information. our method aims to discriminate between alternative introduction scenarios and to estimate posterior densities of demographically relevant parameters of the invasive process. ... | 2010 | 21565099 |
| a suspected parasite spill-back of two novel myxidium spp. (myxosporea) causing disease in australian endemic frogs found in the invasive cane toad. | infectious diseases are contributing to the decline of endangered amphibians. we identified myxosporean parasites, myxidium spp. (myxosporea: myxozoa), in the brain and liver of declining native frogs, the green and golden bell frog (litoria aurea) and the southern bell frog (litoria raniformis). we unequivocally identified two myxidium spp. (both generalist) affecting australian native frogs and the invasive cane toad (bufo marinus, syn. rhinella marina) and demonstrated their association with ... | 2011 | 21541340 |
| interspecific comparisons of lymph volume and lymphatic fluxes: do lymph reserves and lymph mobilization capacities vary in anurans from different environments? | abstract the femoral lymph sac volumes and lymph mobilization capacity were compared in three anuran species that span a range of environments, dehydration tolerance, ability to maintain blood volume with dehydration, and degrees of development of skeletal muscles putatively involved in moving lymph vertically to the posterior lymph hearts. the femoral lymph sac volume determined by evans blue injection and dilution in the femoral lymph sac varied interspecifically. the semiaquatic species, lith ... | 2011 | 21527817 |
| the weak link: do muscle properties determine locomotor performance in frogs? | muscles power movement, yet the conceptual link between muscle performance and locomotor performance is poorly developed. frog jumping provides an ideal system to probe the relationship between muscle capacity and locomotor performance, because a jump is a single discrete event and mechanical power output is a critical determinant of jump distance. we tested the hypothesis that interspecific variation in jump performance could be explained by variability in available muscle power. we used force ... | 2011 | 21502120 |
| physiology of invasion: cane toads are constrained by thermal effects on physiological mechanisms that support locomotor performance. | understanding the mechanisms that constrain the invasiveness of introduced animals is essential for managing invasions and for predicting their limits. in most vertebrate species, the capacity for invasion relies upon the physiological systems that support locomotion, and oxygen transport and metabolism may become limiting as environmental temperatures increase as predicted by the oxygen limitation hypothesis. here we test the oxygen limitation hypothesis and propose the alternative hypothesis t ... | 2011 | 21490252 |
| chronic hypoxia and chronic hypercapnia differentially regulate an nmda-sensitive component of the acute hypercapnic ventilatory response in the cane toad (rhinella marina). | this study addressed the hypotheses that exposure to chronic hypoxia (ch) and chronic hypercapnia (chc) would modify the acute hypercapnic ventilatory response in the cane toad (rhinella marina; formerly bufo marinus or chaunus marinus) and its regulation by nmda-mediated processes. cane toads were exposed to 10 days of ch (10% o(2)) or chc (3.5% co(2)) followed by acute in vivo hypercapnic breathing trials, conducted before and after an injection of the nmda-receptor channel blocker, mk801 into ... | 2011 | 21359567 |
| excluding access to invasion hubs can contain the spread of an invasive vertebrate. | many biological invasions do not occur as a gradual expansion along a continuous front, but result from the expansion of satellite populations that become established at 'invasion hubs'. although theoretical studies indicate that targeting control efforts at invasion hubs can effectively contain the spread of invasions, few studies have demonstrated this in practice. in arid landscapes worldwide, humans have increased the availability of surface water by creating artificial water points (awps) s ... | 2011 | 21345870 |
| assessment of virally vectored autoimmunity as a biocontrol strategy for cane toads. | the cane toad, bufo (chaunus) marinus, is one of the most notorious vertebrate pests introduced into australia over the last 200 years and, so far, efforts to identify a naturally occurring b. marinus-specific pathogen for use as a biological control agent have been unsuccessful. we explored an alternative approach that entailed genetically modifying a pathogen with broad host specificity so that it no longer caused disease, but carried a gene to disrupt the cane toad life cycle in a species spe ... | 2011 | 21283623 |
| modeling the consequences of thermal trait variation for the cane toad invasion of australia. | mechanistic species distribution models (sdms) are ideally suited for predicting the nonnative distributions of invasive species, but require accurate parameterization of key functional traits. importantly, any ability of the invader to acclimate or adapt rapidly to local conditions must be incorporated. our field and laboratory studies measured phenotypic variation and tested for plasticity in the thermal sensitivity of locomotor performance and low-temperature tolerance of adult cane toads buf ... | 2010 | 21265457 |
| removing the rubbish: frogs eliminate foreign objects from the body cavity through the bladder. | during the course of a telemetry study on three species of australian frogs (litoria caerulea, litoria dahlii and cyclorana australis), we found that many of the surgically implanted transmitters had migrated into the bladder. we subsequently implanted small beads into l. caerulea and they were expelled from the body in 10-23 days. beads implanted into cane toads (rhinella marina) to document the process were either expelled or were enveloped into the bladder. this appears to be a unique pathway ... | 2011 | 21147830 |
| behavioral responses to immune-system activation in an anuran (the cane toad, bufo marinus): field and laboratory studies. | the challenges posed by parasites and pathogens evoke behavioral as well as physiological responses. such behavioral responses are poorly understood for most ectothermic species, including anuran amphibians. we quantified effects of simulated infection (via injection of bacterial lipopolysaccharide [lps]) on feeding, activity, and thermoregulation of cane toads bufo marinus within their invasive range in tropical australia. lps injection reduced feeding rates in laboratory trials. for toads in o ... | 2011 | 21128787 |