Cognitive-sensory biology of rainforest navigation in frogs

Rainforests are some of the most complex sensory environments on Earth, yet animals thrive in them, finding resources and navigating with remarkable precision. Among the most impressive navigators are poison frogs, which can accurately find small breeding pools scattered around the forest, from the ground to the treetops. This behavior challenges the common belief that amphibians lack the flexibility and cognitive abilities needed for complex navigation. Our research aims to uncover the cognitive and sensory strategies that rainforest frogs use to find, evaluate, and navigate between breeding sites. We will explore three main questions: how do frogs discover new breeding pools, assess the quality of these pools, and learn and remember where the pools are located? We hypothesize that poison frogs can detect new pools from afar by listening to the calls of other frog species. Once closer, they may use olfactory cues, such as odors associated with stagnant water, to pinpoint the exact location of the pools and determine their suitability. After discovering a suitable pool, frogs may combine directional information from the sounds and odors of the environment with visual landmarks to integrate the new location into a mental map. To test these ideas, we will conduct a range of experiments in the field and in captivity. To explore the sound detection hypothesis, we will play recordings of frog calls and monitor the frogs` responses to see whether they are attracted to potential breeding sites. To investigate the role of odors, we will analyze the chemical compounds found in breeding pools and test which scents are most attractive to frogs. To study the cognitive aspects of navigation, we will set up artificial breeding sites and manipulate visual, acoustic, and olfactory cues to determine how frogs learn new locations under different conditions. We will combine these different approaches for the first time to uncover the sensory and cognitive abilities of frogs and reveal how rainforest animals navigate their environments.