Eating to the beat of the drum: vibrational parameters of toe tapping behavior in Dendrobates truncatus (anura: dendrobatidae)

Toe tapping is performed by certain anuran species while foraging for their prey. This behavior has been described in different frog families, with some hypotheses regarding its function, including predator-prey communication, still unverified. To understand the function of toe tapping and its potential relationship with foraging in anurans, the present research focuses on descriptive analysis of vibrational parameters of toe tapping produced during foraging in the poison dart frog Dendrobates truncatus. We implemented an experimentally designed arena that allowed us to record toe tapping vibrations using an accelerometer attached to an artificial substrate. Continuous recordings of toe tapping were obtained from 19 individuals, enabling us to identify and define the vibrational parameters, with reference to the time between attacks on prey. The average tap duration was 0.06 ± 0.01 s with an inter-tap interval of 0.15 ± 0.07 s. We also identified a pattern, displayed in 36.5% of the analyzed attacks, of progressive acceleration of toe tapping before an attack. Furthermore, we found that individuals with longer third toes were more likely to accelerate their taps. Lastly, we found no evidence of sexual dimorphism in the toe tapping behavior of Dendrobates truncatus. Describing the vibrational parameters of toe tapping in Dendrobates truncatus represents a new frontier of research in the field of foraging behavior and paves the way for hypothesis testing regarding its functionality.部分无尾目（anuran）物种在觅食过程中会表现出叩趾行为（toe tapping）。该行为已在多个蛙科类群中被报道，目前已有若干关于其功能的假说，包括捕食者-猎物交流（predator-prey communication）假说，但相关假说均未得到验证。 为阐明叩趾行为的功能及其与无尾目动物觅食行为的潜在关联，本研究聚焦于截趾箭毒蛙（Dendrobates truncatus）觅食过程中产生的叩趾振动参数的描述性分析。我们搭建了实验型行为观测箱，通过附着在人工基质上的加速度计（accelerometer）记录叩趾振动信号。我们从19只个体中获取了连续的叩趾振动记录，得以结合猎物攻击的间隔时间，识别并明确了相关振动参数：单次叩趾的平均时长为0.06±0.01秒，叩趾间隔平均为0.15±0.07秒。 我们还发现了一种行为模式：在36.5%的被分析攻击行为中，个体在发起攻击前会逐渐加快叩趾频率。进一步分析显示，第三趾更长的个体更易表现出这种加速叩趾的行为。最后，我们未在截趾箭毒蛙的叩趾行为中发现性别二态性（sexual dimorphism）。 对截趾箭毒蛙叩趾行为振动参数的描述，为觅食行为研究领域开辟了全新的研究方向，同时为验证该行为的功能相关假说奠定了研究基础。