Laterality in toe-tapping behaviour of Green-and-Black poison dart frogs (Dendrobates auratus)

Laterality, the preference for using one side of the body over the other, has been observed in various animal species, including frogs and toads. While laterality has been studied widely during locomotion in anurans, its role during other behaviours, such as hunting-related toe-tapping (the quick up and down movement of the middle toe of the hind feet while foraging), remains largely unstudied. This study investigated the toe-tapping rate of the left and right toes (versus both toes simultaneously) in a captive colony of green-and-black poison dart frogs (Dendrobates auratus, Dendrobatidae). We assessed the time spent tapping with each toe (right, left, or both toes simultaneously) in response to prey-mimicking videos, based on behavioural observations of 25 individuals. Simultaneous toe-tapping was rare, and laterality tests showed that frogs had an overall preference to toe-tap with their right toes (i.e., most individuals are right-lateralised) when presented with visual artificial prey. Since anurans prefer to strike at their prey once it is apparent in their right visual field, predator-prey interaction on the predator's right body side (i.e., with its right toe) might be beneficial for the predator, and a potential clue towards a better understanding of the function of hunting-related toe-tapping in frogs.