Don't lick that toad!
Amphibians are not necessarily known for their architectural acumen, but a new study shows that during the driest parts of the year some frogs take advantage the moist habitat offered by a ball of elephant poop. Last fall, ecologist Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz of The University of Tokyo was checking out Asian elephant dung piles near Bundala National Park in Sri Lanka. He was surprised to find a tiny frog-like toad in the genus Microhyla buried inside the twig-filled dung. He kept snooping around, examining a total of 290 dung piles and found four more Microhyla along with a frog species. By contrast, when he checked out cow and buffalo patties in the area, he never found any toads, a fact he attributes to the bovine dung’s “homogenous, fine-grained” structure. His study, titled “ Shit happens (to be useful)! Use of elephant dung as habitat by amphibians ,” will be published in Biotropica . He says the finding demonstrates the role that large mammals like elephants play as “ecosystem engineers” providing resources and habitat to much smaller animals.
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Amphibians are not necessarily known for their architectural acumen, but a new study shows that during the driest parts of the year some frogs take advantage the moist habitat offered by a ball of elephant poop. Last fall, ecologist Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz of The University of Tokyo was checking out Asian elephant dung piles near Bundala National Park in Sri Lanka. He was surprised to find a tiny frog-like toad in the genus Microhyla buried inside the twig-filled dung. He kept snooping around, examining a total of 290 dung piles and found four more Microhyla along with a frog species. By contrast, when he checked out cow and buffalo patties in the area, he never found any toads, a fact he attributes to the bovine dung’s “homogenous, fine-grained” structure. His study, titled “Shit happens (to be useful)! Use of elephant dung as habitat by amphibians,” will be published in Biotropica. He says the finding demonstrates the role that large mammals like elephants play as “ecosystem engineers” providing resources and habitat to much smaller animals.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
