AH News: Investigating Unexplored Ecological Relationships from the Archives of Acta Herpetologica
In our journey in the archives of Acta Herpetologica, today we focus on an intriguing work in which Dr. Zduniak and coworkers explore the rare interaction between Marsh Frogs and Anatolian Water Buffaloes in the Kızılırmak delta of Turkey, challenging traditional views on amphibian-mammal relationships. The paper, titled “A possible mutualistic interaction between vertebrates: frogs use water buffaloes as a foraging place” was published in 2017, in Issue 12(1) of Acta Herpetologica.
The study explores a unique interspecific interaction between Marsh Frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus) and Anatolian Water Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in the Kızılırmak delta of Turkey. While associations between birds and large mammals are well-documented, the relationship between amphibians and large mammals is rarely reported in the scientific literature. The observations carried out by the authors reveal that Marsh Frogs frequently forage on the bodies of free-ranging water buffaloes.
The study was conducted by mixing extensive literature research and 12 field observations in October 2012. In the field, the researchers recorded instances where frogs were present on resting and standing buffaloes. Frogs were observed hunting flies on the buffaloes, suggesting a potential mutualistic interaction, as many flies are known disease vectors for large mammals. According to the authors, the behavior was not incidental and occurred in a structured manner similar to bird associations with large mammals.
The observed phenomenon was found to be seasonal, happening mainly in autumn when frog density is elevated. In these conditions, frogs benefit from the large amounts of flies attracted by buffaloes; in addition, the amphibians may also take advantage of the heat produced by the body of the large herbivores.
It is not clear whether buffaloes benefit from this very peculiar interaction: therefore, the authors cannot rule out the possibility of the behavior being a form of commensalism, where only frogs benefit without affecting buffaloes. While further research is still needed to clarify the details of the interaction described in the paper, the findings contribute valuable insights into the diversity of interspecific interactions and emphasize the importance of considering less-studied associations in ecological research.