Correlates of homing performance in Oophaga histrionica

Homing is the ability to return to previously visited sites, often to the
home range. Most studies have focused on the mechanisms used to home, but
few have addressed the cost-benefit analysis of homing behavior, e.g., by
testing for associations between homing performance and ecological
factors. We aimed to study homing ability in males of the poison frog,
Oophaga histrionica, by testing the general hypothesis that homing
performance depends upon potential indicators of territory quality or the
risk of losing it. First, we tested whether return time was related to
displacement distance, body size, number of courtships during the previous
month, or distance to nearest neighbors. All males homed and males that
were displaced 10 meters (m) from their territories returned significantly
faster than males displaced 25 or 40 m. Yet none of the ecological
variables affected homing ability. In a second experiment, we tested
whether males’ homing performance was affected by adding or removing
acoustic cues, simulating changes in the number, identity, and spatial
distribution of neighbors. Most displaced males homed within six hours,
and males exposed to additional loudspeakers (i.e., neighbors) within
their territories homed more accurately than other males. Our results
indicate that the homing performance of males is affected by the perceived
risk of being displaced from their territories.