TADBIO: UM SOFTWARE ASSISTENTE PARA ANÁLISE COMPORTAMENTAL DE GIRINOS EM AMBIENTE LABORATORIAL

Abstract

Animal behavior represents an important biomarker in environmental impact assessments, as it has high sensitivity. However, its analysis requires the use of efficient and reliable tools to measure behavioral changes in animals exposed to different environmental conditions. In this sense, the software stands out for bringing together precision and reliability in the analyses, reducing the chances of human errors in the evaluations. Although these are excellent allies of scientific research, currently those available on the market are mostly restricted, few allow adaptations to include specific variables related to other groups of animals, in addition most of these software is targeted to a small amount bioindicators, leaving some in the background, such as amphibians. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop the first version of the TADBIO software, an open-source and free-distribution application aimed at semi-automatic analysis of the behavior of tadpoles. Searches for ethograms of the model system Physalaemus cuvieri were performed without success. Therefore, an ethogram for the species was elaborated in a laboratory environment, to gather the behaviors and plan the software development. The development tools used were NetBeans IDE and Scene Builder. Coding was performed using JavaFx and FXML programming languages. From a sampling effort of 45 h (2,700 min), 18 behaviors were observed, identified and described. A careful selection was carried out in the behaviors identified for the selection of those who presented themselves as suitable for semi- automatic recording and of interest in laboratory studies. Regarding the software, three interfaces were developed. The initial screen allows entry to the settings panel, the second allows you to configure the analysis of behaviors and the third, which is the screen for recording and quantifying the analyses. From the validation tests, the first version of the TADBIO software proved to be efficient in recording the behaviors of interest. It is believed that it can contribute significantly to behavioral assessments of representatives of the amphibian group, since it was developed in a way that addresses the main behaviors detected in the laboratory for the P. cuvieri model system.