Tadpole wars: the impact of invading Guttural toad larvae on Endangered Western Leopard toads

Core team member: John Measey

Project Background

The Guttural toad, Sclerophrys gutturalis, was first sighted in Constantia, a peri-urban area of Cape Town in 2000. Since then, the species has expanded over this and neighbouring suburbs. There is evidence that the Guttural toad is shifting its breeding times earlier in the year (Vimercati et al 2019) so that it may coincide with a local congener. Conservationists cite the potential impact on the native IUCN Endangered Western Leopard toad, Sclerophrys pantherina, whose range the Guttural toad has already entered. However, no empirical evidence has emerged of this impact.

This project seeks to quantify the effects of the interaction between tadpoles of the two species in an experimental enclosure.

The project will require a student who has attention to detail for small morphological changes, animal husbandry and the ability to manage a large experiment.

Further Reading

1. Vimercati, G et al. 2019. Invasive toads adopt marked capital breeding when introduced to a cooler, more seasonal environment. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blz119
2. Telford, N. et al. 2019 Origin of invasive populations of the Guttural toad Sclerophrys gutturalis Herpetological Conservation & Biology. 14(2):380–392
3. Measey, J. et al. 2017 Invasive amphibians in southern Africa: a review of invasion pathways. Bothalia-African Biodiversity & Conservation 47(2), a2117. doi:10.4102/abc.v47i2.2117

Key Contacts

Prof John Measey c: 021 808 2385 e: jmeasey@sun.ac.za