Articles | Volume 13, issue 1
Web Ecol., 13, 1–11, 2013
https://doi.org/10.5194/we-13-1-2013
Web Ecol., 13, 1–11, 2013
https://doi.org/10.5194/we-13-1-2013

Standard article 04 Jan 2013

Standard article | 04 Jan 2013

Better in the dark: two Mediterranean amphibians synchronize reproduction with moonlit nights

L. Vignoli3,1 and L. Luiselli2,4 L. Vignoli and L. Luiselli
  • 1Dipartimento di Scienze, Università Roma Tre, Viale Marconi, 446, 00146, Rome, Italy
  • 2Centre of Environmental Studies DEMETRA s.r.l., Via Olona 7, 00198, Rome, Italy
  • 3Center for Evolutionary Ecology, Largo San Leonardo Murialdo, 1, 00146, Rome, Italy
  • 4E.N.I. S.p.a., Environmental Department, Rome, Italy

Abstract. In Amphibians, both positive and negative correlations between activity and full moon phase have been observed. In this study, we present data for two anuran species (Hyla intermedia and Rana dalmatina) studied in a hilly Mediterranean area of central Italy. We analysed, in a two-year survey, the relationships between the number of egg clutches laid each night and the moon phases by means of circular statistics. Moreover, the studied species exhibited clear oviposition site selection behaviour influenced, at least in H. intermedia, by moon phases. We observed the occurrence of an avoidance effect by amphibians for oviposition and specific egg-laying behaviour during moon phases around the full moon. This apparent lunar phobia was evident in both species when yearly data were pooled. On the other hand, while this pattern continued to be also evident in H. intermedia when single years were considered, in R. dalmatina it stood just in one year of study. Nonetheless, during cloudy nights, when moonlight arriving on the ground was low, the frogs' behaviour was similar to that observed in new moon phases. We interpreted the observed pattern as an anti-predatory strategy. Overall, comparisons between our own study and previous research suggest that there was insufficient evidence to establish any unequivocal patterns and that further research in this regard is needed.

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This work is distributed under <br class=\"hide-on-mobile hide-on-tablet\" />the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.</div>\n                        <div class=\"citation-copyright-icon\">\n                       <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/\" rel=\"license\" class=\"licence-icon\"> <img src=\"https://www.web-ecology.net/licenceIcon_12.png\"></a></div>\n                </div>\n            </div>\n            \n            <div class=\"hide-on-mobile hide-on-tablet\">\n                <div class=\"citation-header\">\n                    <div class=\"citation\">Web Ecol., 13, 1&ndash;11, 2013</div>\n                    <div class=\"citation-doi\">https://doi.org/10.5194/we-13-1-2013</div>\n                    <div class=\"citation-copyright\">&copy; Author(s) 2013. This work is distributed unde", "         <div class=\"citation-header\">\n                    <div class=\"citation\">Web Ecol., 13, 1&ndash;11, 2013</div>\n                    <div class=\"citation-doi\">https://doi.org/10.5194/we-13-1-2013</div>\n                    <div class=\"citation-copyright\">&copy; Author(s) 2013. This work is distributed under <br class=\"hide-on-mobile hide-on-tablet\" />the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.</div>\n                        <div class=\"citation-copyright-icon\">\n                            <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/\" rel=\"license\" class=\"licence-icon\"> <img src=\"https://www.web-ecology.net/licenceIcon_12.png\"></a></div>\n                </div>\n            </div>        </div>\n        <div class=\"grid-55 hide-on-tablet hide-on-mobile grid-parent\">\n                <div class=\"text-right articleBackLink\">\n                    <a href=\"https://we.copernicus.org/\">Articles</a> | <a href=\"https://we.copernicus.org/articles/13/issue1.html\">Volume 13, issue 1</a>\n                </div>\n                <div class=\"tab co-angel-left hide-on-desktop\"></di"], "cc_re__cc_re__cc_by_4_0": ["g\" alt=\"\" style=\"width: 1784px; height: 330px;\" /></a></span>\r\n</div>\n\n                    </div>\n\n                </div>\n\n            </div>\n\n        </div>\n\n    </div>\n\n    <div class=\"links pb-4 pt-4\">\n\n        <div class=\"container\">\n\n            <div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n\n                <div class=\"col-12 col-xl-auto mt-3\">\n\n                    <div class=\"row align-items-start align-items-lg-center\">\n\n                        <div class=\"d-none d-md-block col-md-auto pr-2 pt-1\"><a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"https://www.web-ecology.net/ci_refresh_graphic_cc_by_footer_logo.jpg\" cofileid=\"14271\" alt=\"\"></a></div>\n\n                        <div class=\"col-12 col-md mb-3 mb-md-0 pl-md-0 text-center text-md-left\">All site content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under the <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\" target=\"_blank\">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License</a>.</div>\n\n                        <div class=\"d-md-none col-12 text-center\"><a href=\"https://creativeco", "          <div class=\"row align-items-start align-items-lg-center\">\n\n                        <div class=\"d-none d-md-block col-md-auto pr-2 pt-1\"><a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"https://www.web-ecology.net/ci_refresh_graphic_cc_by_footer_logo.jpg\" cofileid=\"14271\" alt=\"\"></a></div>\n\n                        <div class=\"col-12 col-md mb-3 mb-md-0 pl-md-0 text-center text-md-left\">All site content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under the <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\" target=\"_blank\">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License</a>.</div>\n\n                        <div class=\"d-md-none col-12 text-center\"><a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"https://www.web-ecology.net/ci_refresh_graphic_cc_by_footer_logo.jpg\" cofileid=\"14271\" alt=\"\"></a></div>\n\n                    </div>\n\n                </div>\n\n                <div class=\"col-12 text-center text-md-left col-lg-auto mt-3\">\n\n                    <div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n\n    ", "s/by/4.0/\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"https://www.web-ecology.net/ci_refresh_graphic_cc_by_footer_logo.jpg\" cofileid=\"14271\" alt=\"\"></a></div>\n\n                        <div class=\"col-12 col-md mb-3 mb-md-0 pl-md-0 text-center text-md-left\">All site content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under the <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\" target=\"_blank\">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License</a>.</div>\n\n                        <div class=\"d-md-none col-12 text-center\"><a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"https://www.web-ecology.net/ci_refresh_graphic_cc_by_footer_logo.jpg\" cofileid=\"14271\" alt=\"\"></a></div>\n\n                    </div>\n\n                </div>\n\n                <div class=\"col-12 text-center text-md-left col-lg-auto mt-3\">\n\n                    <div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n\n                        <div class=\"col d-md-none px-0\"></div>\n\n                        <div class=\"col-auto pr-1\"><a href=\"https://www.web-ecology.net/about/contact.html\">Contact</a></div>\n\n   "], "copyright__copyright__copyright": ["rs were considered, in R. dalmatina it stood just in one year of study. Nonetheless, during cloudy nights, when moonlight arriving on the ground was low, the frogs' behaviour was similar to that observed in new moon phases. We interpreted the observed pattern as an anti-predatory strategy. Overall, comparisons between our own study and previous research suggest that there was insufficient evidence to establish any unequivocal patterns and that further research in this regard is needed.\n\nDownload", "rs were considered, in R. dalmatina it stood just in one year of study. Nonetheless, during cloudy nights, when moonlight arriving on the ground was low, the frogs' behaviour was similar to that observed in new moon phases. We interpreted the observed pattern as an anti-predatory strategy. Overall, comparisons between our own study and previous research suggest that there was insufficient evidence to establish any unequivocal patterns and that further research in this regard is needed.\n\nDownload", "rs were considered, in R. dalmatina it stood just in one year of study. Nonetheless, during cloudy nights, when moonlight arriving on the ground was low, the frogs' behaviour was similar to that observed in new moon phases. We interpreted the observed pattern as an anti-predatory strategy. Overall, comparisons between our own study and previous research suggest that there was insufficient evidence to establish any unequivocal patterns and that further research in this regard is needed.\n\nDownload", "rs were considered, in R. dalmatina it stood just in one year of study. Nonetheless, during cloudy nights, when moonlight arriving on the ground was low, the frogs' behaviour was similar to that observed in new moon phases. We interpreted the observed pattern as an anti-predatory strategy. Overall, comparisons between our own study and previous research suggest that there was insufficient evidence to establish any unequivocal patterns and that further research in this regard is needed.\n\nDownload", "rs were considered, in R. dalmatina it stood just in one year of study. Nonetheless, during cloudy nights, when moonlight arriving on the ground was low, the frogs' behaviour was similar to that observed in new moon phases. We interpreted the observed pattern as an anti-predatory strategy. Overall, comparisons between our own study and previous research suggest that there was insufficient evidence to establish any unequivocal patterns and that further research in this regard is needed.\n\nDownload", "rs were considered, in R. dalmatina it stood just in one year of study. Nonetheless, during cloudy nights, when moonlight arriving on the ground was low, the frogs' behaviour was similar to that observed in new moon phases. We interpreted the observed pattern as an anti-predatory strategy. Overall, comparisons between our own study and previous research suggest that there was insufficient evidence to establish any unequivocal patterns and that further research in this regard is needed.\n\nDownload"]}