DOI: 10.5061/dryad.9cnp5hqp0
title: The effect of biofluorescence on predation upon Cope’s gray treefrog: A clay model experiment

description: Biofluorescence, the ability to absorb light and reemit it at a longer
 wavelength, is present in many taxa but has been examined only recently in
 amphibians. Over half of the studies examining biofluorescence in the last
 century suggest this fluorescent signal may affect predation; however, to
 date, only one experimental study has tested this hypothesis. To address
 this question, we experimentally tested the effect of biofluorescence on
 predation through the study of the Cope’s Gray Treefrog, Hyla
 chrysoscelis. First, we quantified the spectral characteristics of a novel
 biofluorescence pattern in H. chrysoscelis. In this species, the
 fluorescent signal is concentrated in an area for both sexes that contains
 a flash pattern proposed to warn predators of the frog’s toxic secretions.
 We hypothesized that the biofluorescent trait may increase the
 conspicuousness of this flash pattern and enable the frogs to deter
 predators more effectively. Second, we tested this prediction by
 conducting a clay model field experiment to assess differences in
 predation attempts on fluorescent versus non-fluorescent H. chrysoscelis
 models by various predator types. We found no effect of biofluorescence on
 the overall presence and type of predation, suggesting that
 biofluorescence does not contribute strongly to the deterring effect of
 the antipredator flash signal of H. chrysoscelis. This study represents
 one of the first attempts to experimentally test the effect of
 biofluorescence on predation in any organism and the first to do so in
 amphibians. Further work is needed to explore the role of this trait in
 predation in other systems and to investigate alternative functions for
 the biofluorescent signal in H. chrysoscelis.
description: # Supporting data for The effect of biofluorescence on predation upon
 Cope's gray treefrog: A clay model experiment --- Supporting material
 for publication submitted to Animal Behaviour. We conducted a clay model
 experiment to test the effect of fluorescence upon Cope's Gray
 Treefrog. This dataset includes: Supplementary Figures and Tables
 referenced in-text, raw data inputs for all statistical analyses as .csv
 files, and R Code for all statistical analyses conducted. ## Description
 of the Data and file structure Supplementary Tables: one supplementary
 figure and six supplementary tables cited in-text provided as a .doc file:
 SF1 (Chi-Squared Test), ST1 (Two Sample Test of Proportions Power
 Analysis), ST2 (Two Sample Test of Proportions), ST3 (Summary output for
 coefficients from all GLMs for number of predation events), ST4 (Model
 average effects from best supported GLMs for number of predation events),
 ST5 (Summary output for coefficients from all GLMs for type of predator),
 and ST6 (Model average effects from best supported GLMs for type of
 predator). RCode.R: code for (1) power analysis, (2) predation rate two
 proportion test statistical analyses, (3) predator type chi-squared
 statistical analyses, (4) predation rate GLM statistical analyses, and (5)
 predator type GLM statistical analyses. pred_data_condensed.csv: input
 file with relevant raw data. pred_type.csv: input for GLM statistical
 analyses for predator type analysis. ## Sharing/access Information Links
 to other publicly accessible locations of the data: N/A Was data derived
 from another source? No If yes, list source(s): N/A