Responses of Australian wading birds to a novel toxic prey type, the invasive cane toad Rhinella marina

Title
Responses of Australian wading birds to a novel toxic prey type, the invasive cane toad Rhinella marina
Publication Date
2011
Author(s)
Beckmann, Christa
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7904-7228
Email: cbeckman@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:cbeckman
Crossland, Michael R
Shine, Richard
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Place of publication
Netherlands
DOI
10.1007/s10530-011-9974-1
UNE publication id
une:22110
Abstract
The impact of invasive predators on native prey has attracted considerable scientific attention, whereas the reverse situation (invasive species being eaten by native predators) has been less frequently studied. Such interactions might affect invasion success; an invader that is readily consumed by native species may be less likely to flourish in its new range than one that is ignored by those taxa. Invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina) in Australia have fatally poisoned many native predators (e.g., marsupials, crocodiles, lizards) that attempt to ingest the toxic anurans, but birds are more resistant to toad toxins. We quantified prey preferences of four species of wading birds (Nankeen night heron, purple swamphen, pied heron, little egret) in the wild, by offering cane toads and alternative native prey items (total of 279 trays offered, 14 different combinations of prey types). All bird species tested preferred the native prey, avoiding both tadpole and metamorph cane toads. Avoidance of toads was strong enough to reduce foraging on native prey presented in combination with the toads, suggesting that the presence of cane toads could affect predator foraging tactics, and reduce the intensity of predation on native prey species found in association with toads.
Link
Citation
Biological Invasions, 13(12), p. 2925-2934
ISSN
1573-1464
1387-3547
Start page
2925
End page
2934

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