Barometric pressure and frogs

[AFHokie03]

So I'm sitting here pondering why my frogs seem to act so differently than the guy I got them from, and other people on dendroboard. Specifically, my orange lamasi are almost always out and my variabilis are almost always hiding. Most people I see have the opposite experience. The guy I got both of them from says his varis are one of the boldest thumbs he has, and the lamasi hide all the time.

As I'm pondering this difference I'm thinking about temps, and plant density, then I think about elevation. He is back in Utah, just shy of 5000 feet. I'm now in Texas, at less than 1000 feet. Another frogger not too far from me has the same problem with his varis, super shy. I begin to ponder if the elevation affects the frogs? We try our best to make the vivs representative of their environment. Temps must be exact, humidity must be high enough, plants must be plentiful, food sources variable. Then we get to atmospheric pressure, a function of elevation and we can do nothing. I know for sure when storms come in and the pressure changes I can tell the difference. How about the frogs? Might they act differently because they are at such drastically different elevations than their natural habitat?

Ken

[ashb]

I believe you could be onto something. I do know that benthos, who survive in water with pressure 500 times greater than pressure experienced at sea level, perish very quickly when brought to the surface. The barometric pressure only differs by 10-15 bars in Utah from Wichita Falls, though, which might not be enough to stimulate a behavioral change. Any atomospheric scientists that want to chime in with their opinion?

[AFHokie03]

I wouldn't expect a huge change in behavior, but we know that some of our frogs are only found in certain elevation bands. Isolation from valley to valley is understandable, especially with rivers, but why the elevational localization? Temperatures? Perhaps, but if that was the case I would expect our vivs would need to vary much more. Very few dart species need anything beyond the normal mid 70's with a drop at night. If frogs kept to certain elevations in the wild due to temp changes I would expect we would need much more variance in our vivs than a few degrees....

[frogmanroth]

Well I think you are right elevation may have something to do with comfort zones of the frogs.

Just like in the wild they live in different elevations in the wild. Hmmmmmm

[ashb]

I wouldn't think it's the temperature changes that would affect them as much, or else everyone's frogs would act in a simular fashion. There has to be a variable that differs from location to location in the U.S. that is responsible for the behavioral difference. That, or the vivariums are so different that the new one caused the frogs to act differently within them..

[AFHokie03]

I did consider that variable and it's definitely not off the table. I've noticed even slight changes in planting can really make the frogs more or less active. I think the only way to get a good reading would be from someone who had the same viv, same frogs, in different places with a big elevation change. I didn't have my thumbs in Utah so I can't say if they changed. My leucs and azureus are the same, but they are much more tolerant frogs to begin with. It may not explain viv behavior, but I wonder what exactly it is in the wild that keeps them in certain elevation bands? Vegetation growth and types perhap?

[ashb]

Vegetation would definitely be a limiting factor. It's amazing what preferences animals can have on certain plants. Different insects consume different plants too, so food preference could be a reason. If so and so bugs eat so and so plants at so and so elevation, then so and so frogs that prefer said bugs will live in said elevation. Other factors at elevations could be temperatures, oxygen levels, humidity... I guess it's that combination of all the above factors that determines a frog's behavior..