Defensive colouration is not a reliable indicator of fungal infection in aposematic poison frogs

Color signals can be altered by pathogenic infections through different pathways, potentially compromising their signaling functions. This association has been widely examined in the context of sexual selection, whereas little is known about its effects on aposematic coloration. We measured dorsal skin color traits of the aposematic poison frog Dendrobates tinctorius using multispectral digital imaging. For each individual, we also quantified Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) infection status and load using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). We compared the brightness, saturation and hue from melanin- and carotenoid-based coloration between frogs, using linear or bayesian circular regressions models, and found no association between Bd infection status or load and differences in coloration. Instead, body size influenced both infection outcomes and colouration, with sex-specific patterns suggesting potential ontogenetic or life-history trade-offs. Our findings highlight that the li..., , # Defensive colouration is not a reliable indicator of fungal infection in aposematic poison frogs

Date of last update: 2025-08-01

#### Repository contents

Bd_colouration_project/
├── data/
│    └── Bd_coloration_metadata.csv -> Final dataset used for statistical analysis
\| analyses, including frog and Bd infection information.
│    └── Black_RGB_KC.csv -> RGB reflectance values (mean and sd) of the black ROIs
\| for Kaw and Cacao populations.
│ └── Black_RGB_M.csv -> RGB reflectance values (mean and sd) of the black ROIs for
\| Mataroni population.
│ └── Black_RGB_N.csv -> RGB reflectance values (mean and sd) of the black ROIs for
\| Nouragues population.
│ └── Black_RGB_PF.csv -> RGB reflectance values (mean and sd) of the black ROIs for
\| Petit Matoury and Mont Fortuné populations.
│ └── Yellow_RGB_KC.csv -> RGB reflectance values (mean and sd) of the yellow ROIs
\| for Kaw and Cacao populations....,