Amphibians are among the most threatened vertebrate taxa globally. Their global decline necessitates effective conservation actions to bolster populations across both the larval and adult life stages. Constructing man-made ponds is one such action proven to enhance reproduction in pond-breeding amphibians. However, to achieve successful conservation outcomes, extensive prior knowledge about the ecology and behaviour of the target species is required. In this study, we investigated how different hydroperiod regimes impact the growth and development of Litoria littlejohni tadpoles. Over a 28-week period, tadpoles were exposed to three hydroperiod treatments: Constant High, Declining, and Constant Low water levels. Weekly measurements of snout-to-vent length, body mass, and Gosner stage were taken to assess any treatment-related changes. To determine whether different treatments affected locomotor performance, a jump test was conducted three weeks post metamorphosis. Individuals did not exhibit developmental plasticity in response to declining water, with a mean time to metamorphosis of 93.3 days. Comparatively, when L. littlejohni tadpoles were exposed to low water volumes, they were able to speed up development and reduce time to metamorphosis, with a mean time of 56.5 days. The speeding up of development had an apparent consequence for L. littlejohni. We found support for trade-offs between rapid development and reduced morphometric measurements post-metamorphosis which resulted in reduced locomotive ability. Individuals from Constant Low water treatments exhibited an average total jumping distance of 170.5 cm over 10 consecutive jumps, compared to 235.8 cm in Constant High and 209.5 cm in Declining treatments. Rapid larval development aids tadpoles in escaping suboptimal aquatic conditions, but its effects on locomotion may impact foraging efficiency and predator escape ability. Understanding developmental plasticity in threatened amphibians, especially in response to hydroperiod variations, is crucial for conservation programs, particularly under future climate change scenarios predicting increased drought and reduced hydroperiods in aquatic environments.

Chimpanzees Pan troglodytes are the closest extant relative of modern humans, and are often used as a model organism to help understand prehistoric human behavior and ecology. Originally presumed herbivorous, chimpanzees have been observed hunting 24 species of birds, ungulates, rodents, monkeys, and other primates, using an array of techniques from tools to group cooperation. Using the literature on chimpanzee hunting behavior and diet from 13 studies, we aimed to determine the prey preferences of chimpanzees. We extracted data on prey-specific variables such as targeted species, their body weight, and their abundance within the prey community, and hunter-specific variables such as hunting method, and chimpanzee group size and sex ratio. We used these in a generalized linear model to determine what factors drive chimpanzee prey preference. We calculated a Jacobs’ Index value for each prey species killed at two sites in Uganda and two sites in Tanzania. Chimpanzees prefer prey with a body weight of 7.6 ± 0.4 kg or less, which corresponds to animals such as juvenile bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus and guereza colobus monkeys Colobus guereza. Sex ratio in chimpanzee groups appears to drive chimpanzee prey preference, where chimpanzees increasingly prefer prey when in male-dominated groups. Prey preference information from chimpanzee research can assist conservation management programs by identifying key prey species to manage, as well as contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of human hunting behavior.