Work

Thermal and immunological stress modulate the locomotor performance of female Xenopus laevis frogs

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Temperature strongly influences physiological performance and immune function in ectotherms, making ectotherms like amphibians particularly vulnerable to the combined effects of climate change and infectious diseases. Since immune activation is energetically expensive, infected individuals may face dilemmas between maintaining immune defences and sustaining ecologically critical functions such as locomotion. These dilemmas are expected to be especially pronounced in females due to their high reproductive investment. In this study, we investigated how a simulated infection affects locomotor performance in female Xenopus laevis frogs under three ecologically relevant thermal conditions: cold (15°C), optimal (22°C) and warm (27°C). Frogs were injected with saline solution (control) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and locomotor endurance and jump force were measured. Immune activation reduced locomotor performance at all temperatures. Locomotor endurance was highest near the optimum temperature and decreased at both cold and hot extremes, particularly in frogs treated with LPS, while LPS-induced reductions in jump force were similar across all temperatures. These results indicate that extreme temperatures can intensify the functional costs of immune activation, potentially limiting dispersal, predator escape and other behaviours essential for population persistence. Our findings highlight the importance of integrating thermal stressors and disease when assessing amphibian vulnerability under ongoing climate change.

Source: Conservation Physiology

DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag035

Authors: Thaysa G Oliveira, Laurie Araspin, Laura Camila Cabanzo-Olarte, Carlos A Navas, Anthony Herrel