Meeting Abstract

P1.147  Tuesday, Jan. 4  Arginine vasotocin alters male-male interactions in Xenopus laevis EGO, Courtney L.*; ESSELBURN, Kathryn M.; RHODES, Heather J.; Denison University; Denison Univeristy; Denison University courtneyego@gmail.com

The African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, has a rich vocal repertoire that it uses for social and reproductive signalling. Male frogs produce at least five different types of calls, two in the presence of males or females, and three that are exclusively heard in the presence of other males. However, little is known about male-male social interactions. Arginine vasotocin (AVT) is a neuropeptide which has been shown to alter both calling and physical behaviors in many anurans, often promoting reproductive behaviors and reducing aggression. For this study, male frogs were injected with AVT, and video and audio were recorded. Changes in calling behavior in response to AVT were examined in different social contexts. Physical interactions between males were also analyzed, including clasping behaviors. AVT did not alter calling behavior in isolated males or those paired with females. However, when paired males were treated with AVT calling increased significantly. Of the five call types, all but one significantly increased. Examination of physical behaviors is ongoing and will be presented. In this species, AVT seems to influence male-male social interactions rather than male-female reproductive behaviors, and unlike other anuran species, AVT may be promoting competitive or aggressive behaviors.