Does behavioral thermal tolerance predict distribution pattern and habitat use in two sympatric Neotropical frogs?

Environmental temperatures are a major constraint on ectotherm abundance, influencing their distribution and natural history. Comparing thermal tolerances with environmental temperatures is a simple way to estimate thermal constraints on species distributions. We investigate the potential effects of behavioral thermal tolerance (i. e. Voluntary Thermal Maximum, VT(Max)) on anuran local (habitat) and regional distribution patterns and associated behavioral responses. We tested for differences in Voluntary Thermal Maximum (VT(Max)) of two sympatric frog species of the genus Physalaemus in the Cerrado. We mapped the difference between VT(Max) and maximum daily temperature (VT(Max)—ET(Max)) and compared the abundance in open and non-open habitats for both species. Physalaemus nattereri had a significantly higher VT(Max) than P. cuvieri. For P. nattereri, the model including only period of day was chosen as the best to explain variation in the VT(Max) while for P. cuvieri, the null model was the best model. At the regional scale, VTMax—ET(Max) values were significantly different between species, with P. nattereri mostly found in localities with maximum temperatures below its VT(Max) and P. cuvieri showing the reverse pattern. Regarding habitat use, P. cuvieri was in general more abundant in open than in non-open habitats, whereas P. nattereri was similarly abundant in these habitats. This difference seems to reflect their distribution patterns: P. cuvieri is more abundant in open and warmer habitats and occurs mostly in warmer areas in relation to its VT(Max), whereas P. nattereri tends to be abundant in both open and non-open (and cooler) areas and occurs mostly in cooler areas regarding its VT(Max). Our study indicates that differences in behavioral thermal tolerance may be important in shaping local and regional distribution patterns. Furthermore, small-scale habitat use might reveal a link between behavioral thermal tolerance and natural history strategies.