DOES ALBINISM AFFECT THERMAL SENSITIVITY? A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN ALBINO AND NORMALLY PIGMENTED Pleurodema nebulosum TADPOLES

Luciana Gordillo; Francisco Iribas; Juan Aragon Traverso; Lorena Quiroga; Eduardo Sanabria

doi:10.22201/fc.25942158e.2026.3.1604

Autores/as

Luciana Gordillo https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9849-2259
Francisco Iribas https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5420-9270
Juan Aragon Traverso https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4359-3398
Lorena Quiroga
Eduardo Sanabria CONICET

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22201/fc.25942158e.2026.3.1604

Palabras clave:

Anfibios, desierto del Monte, rendimiento locomotor, tolerancia térmica

Resumen

The effects of albinism on tadpoles’ thermal tolerance and performance remain poorly understood. The aim was to study the thermal extremes and swimming performance of albino and normally pigmented tadpoles of a Pleurodema nebulosum population. Our results show that albino tadpoles exhibited higher heat tolerance than normal tadpoles, whereas half of the albino individuals exhibited lower cold tolerance. Regarding performance, albino tadpoles reached maximum speed at 35 °C, exhibiting a higher optimum temperature and a slightly wider thermal breadth than normally pigmented individuals. Our observations suggest that the albino tadpoles examined here exhibit higher heat tolerance and improved swimming performance at elevated temperatures compared to their normally pigmented conspecifics. Although it would be important to analyze additional traits that may help us better understand the effects of albinism on thermal sensitivity, the study constitutes a starting point for future research on tadpoles' populations exhibiting color anomalies.

Citas

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