Spiculate Toad (Incilius spiculatus)
Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 222528528
Understanding movement patterns in response to habitat disturbance is key to the conservation of a Mexican endangered toad Incilius spiculatus
The project will evaluate the dispersal syndromes of three populations of Incilius spiculatus through long-term radio telemetry monitoring, emphasizing their response to habitat alteration and their reproductive behavior by: 1. Studying the movement patterns of Incilius spiculatus in relation to disturbance under contrasting habitat conditions 2. Estimating the extent of their distribution area within a modified forest habitat 3. Identifying the sites under greatest pressure due to disturbance within the areas of activity of the species 4. Assessing the species' habitat use during and after the breeding season 5. Evaluating breeding sites selection according to the habitat characteristics 6. Measuring the reproductive success by the number of eggs per clutch of each organism, the number of reproductive events, and the number of juveniles in each reproduction site according to the quality of the habitat 7. Measuring and relating individual personality traits with dispersal mechanisms and reproductive success of each organism 8. Developing environmental education activities within the indigenous inhabitants, to inform the effects that habitat disturbance has on the populations of this species, and to implement conservation measures that help reestablish the forest connectivity