Combining thermal and hydric constraints for spatially predicting the activity suitability of Neotropical Leptodactylid frogs

The data integrate empirical physiological, behavioral, and environmental parameters to mechanistically assess how temperature and hydration jointly constrain amphibian activity across space and time. We combined experimentally obtained laboratory data — including thermal performance curves for locomotor function, critical thermal limits (CTmin and CTmax), evaporative water loss rates, and dehydration tolerance — with microclimatic datasets. Using these empirical inputs and ready-to-use microclimatic dataset, we parameterized a biophysical modeling workflow that links organismal heat and mass transfer processes with ground-level microclimate conditions. The R scripts provide mechanistic simulations used to estimate hourly body temperatures, evaporative water loss, and cumulative constraints on surface activity time for three Neotropical frog species (Leptodactylus fuscus, L. mystacinus, and L. macrosternum). Model outputs include spatially explicit maps of thermal, hydric, and combined ..., , # Data from: Combining thermal and hydric constraints for spatially predicting the activity suitability of Neotropical Leptodactylid frogs Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.02v6wwqhg](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.02v6wwqhg) ## Description of the data and file structure Overview Amphibians balance their thermal and hydric budgets in response to environmental conditions, with both temperature and hydration jointly constraining activity. Yet, most mechanistic approaches generally emphasize thermal over water limitations. We used a mechanistic modeling framework to assess how interacting thermal and hydric constraints shape the potential activity of three ground-dwelling Neotropical frogs (*Leptodactylus fuscus*, *L. mystacinus*, and *L. macrosternum*) across their geographic ranges. Laboratory-derived physiological data—including thermal performance curves, critical thermal limits (CTmin and CTmax), evaporative water loss rates, skin resistance, and dehydration tolerance—were integrated wit...,