Cuadernos de Herpetología

Comparing leaf litter anuran diversity in two habitats of an Atlantic Forest area in Rio de Janeiro State, Southeastern Brazil

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0300

We compared species richness, relative abundance, density (ind/100 m2) and biomass per hectare (g/ha) of leaf-litter anurans between forest and restinga habitats in an insular Atlantic Forest area in southeastern Brazil. The local assemblage of leaf litter anurans was composed by nine species (eight of them occurring in the forest and six in the restinga), of which the most abundant were Ischnocnema parva and Adenomera marmorata in the forest, and I. parva and Dendrophryniscus lauroi in the restinga. The estimated local density of leaf-litter anurans was 11.7 ind/100m2 (biomass per hectare = 848.4 g/ha) in forest and 7.3 ind/100m2 in restinga (biomass per hectare = 262.8 g/ha). Anuran species richness, estimated densities and biomass in the restinga were lower than that of the forest, probably due to the less favorable environmental conditions of restingas for amphibians.

Análisis morfológico de un caso de polimelia en Rhinella dorbignyi (Anura: Bufonidae)

Federico L. Oser, Jesica A. Sansiñena, Leandro Alcalde, Guillermo S. Natale — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0300

Morphological analysis of a polymelia case in Rhinella dorbignyi (Anura: Bufonidae). This note describes the morphology of a supernumerary left hind limb in an adult female of Rhinella dorbignyi found in Atalaya (Magdalena, Buenos Aires). The case was studied through radiographs of the specimen in life, and once dead, the morphological approach included dissection
to observe the appendicular muscles and diaphanization with double staining to observe the skeleton. The notable features of the supernumerary limb are: (1) absence of finger I, (2) shorter length of all portions of the limb and less robustness than in a normal hind limb, (3) anomalous junction with the pelvic girdle by means of a well marked femoral head with limb-type features associated to bipedal gait, (4) femur without muscles, and (5) tibia and fibula completely fused in midline. In short, the supernumerary limb is a reduced duplication of the left hind limb.

Description of a new species of the Liolaemus elongatus group (Squamata: Iguania) through integrative taxonomy

Sat, 30 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0300

Liolaemus is the genus with the highest number of lizard species described in South America up to date, with approximately 290. One of the groups within the genus, the Liolaemus elongatus group, is distributed in central-south Argentina and Chile. In this work, we describe a new species belonging to the L. petrophilus clade using an integrative approach that includes the
analysis of morphological (lepidosis, morphometric, coloration and hemipenis characters) and molecular evidence (genetic distances and phylogeny). We provide information about the geological formation of the study area and the clade distribution, and present an extensive description of its natural history (including diet, habitat, behaviour, phytogeography, mode
of life, and sympatric species). Additionally, we present a time divergence analysis of internal branches for all representatives of the L. elongatus group. This newly described species shows character states (morphological and molecular) that allow its clear distinction from the other members of the L. elongatus group, as well as from the remaining Liolaemus species. According
to our results, the L. elongatus group originated during the Miocene, whereas the new species diverged from its sister taxon during the Pleistocene.

New morphology data and geographic distribution expansion of Leposternon mineiro Ribeiro, Silveira & Santos-Jr, 2018 (Squamata, Amphisbaenia, Amphisbaenidae)

Jady Pimenta Eleutério, Alfredo P. Santos-Jr, Wilian Vaz-Silva, Síria Ribeiro — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0300

We provide new morphological and geographic distribution data for Leposternon mineiro. Fifteen specimens of L. mineiro were analyzed (six specimens of the type series and nine additional specimens), in addition to 404 specimens of other species of the genus, used for identification and comparison. Meristic characters, morphometrics, head scale patterns and dentition matched
the previously published diagnosis of the species, but we also found some variations compared to the type series. We expanded the ranges of the following diagnostic characters of L. mineiro: snout-vent length 221–380 mm, tail length 11.5–23.4 mm, 252–300 dorsal postpectoral halfannuli, 252–280 ventral postpectoral half-annuli, 14–16 caudal annuli, 26–37 dorsal segments and 24–39 ventral segments in a midbody annuli, and 2–4 precloacal pores. The new record from the municipality of Cristalina, State of Goiás, extends the geographic distribution of the species by 148 km west of nearest record.

Estudios acústicos en poblaciones argentinas de Leptodactylus (Anura, Leptodactylidae): revisión histórica y datos adicionales

Sat, 30 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0300

The first systematized acoustic studies in Argentinean anuran populations began in the 1960s with the contributions made by Avelino Barrio. Since then, with some exceptions, the knowledge about vocalizations of local species has had little development. Leptodactylus is a neotropical frog genus with 83 recognized species, 14 of which are found in Argentina. In this context, and with the aim to contribute to the acoustic knowledge about anuran species that occur in Argentina, a review of the vocalizations of Leptodactylus species was addressed, with emphasis in local populations. Additionally, this information is compared with new acoustic data for L. bufonius, L. elenae, L. fuscus, L. gracilis, L. laticeps, L. latinasus, L. luctator, L. macrosternum and L. podicipinus obtained in populations from Corrientes, Chaco and San Juan provinces. Moreover, some terms used in previous studies are reviewed in order to standardize the terminology applied to the calls of Leptodactylus species. The absence of descriptions about vocalizations from topotypic populations is also noted, of which L. elenae, L. laticeps, and L. luctator have their type locality in Argentina. Studies on acoustic variation in anurans, whether for taxonomic or geographic variation purposes, can be considered incipient in Argentina, and therefore, there are still an important information gap. Comparisons of the acoustic variables of advertisement call between different populations allow us to understand how the acoustic variables vary according to the environmental or geographical factors. Furthermore, the recordings of other types of calls contribute to increase the information about the acoustic repertoires and have a comprehensive knowledge about aspects of the natural history and behavior of the species. Finally, it is important to highlight the need for additional acoustic studies on anurans from Argentina, especially due to the continuous alteration or loss of their habitats, and consequently of the acoustic diversity and soundscape.

Ecologia térmica de anuros da Caatinga, Nordeste do Brasil

Larissa Carvalho Ferreira, Geane Limeira da Silva, Leonardo Barros Ribeiro — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0300

Thermal ecology of anurans in the Caatinga, Northeastern Brazil. Anurans regulate their body temperature through external heat sources. In this sense, the microhabitat used can influence this physiological process. Thus, the objective of this study was to verify the body temperature of anuran species in the Caatinga domain and to correlate the possible variations to the different microhabitats used. For this, active searches were carried out during the day and night shifts, between August 2019 and May 2021. The frogs were captured manually to measure the cloacal temperature and then released. Substrate and air temperatures were also checked for associations with body temperature. In total, 420 frogs were captured, and the body temperature was obtained from 147 individuals of five species in the rainy season (Leptodactylus macrosternum, Scinax x-signatus, Rhinella granulosa, Rhinella diptycha and Pithecopus gonzagai), and from 273 individuals of four species in the dry season (L. macrosternum, S. x-signatus, R. granulosa and R. diptycha). In general, the highest body temperature averages (28.4-29.3ºC) were observed in the rainy season for L. macrosternum, R. granulosa and R. diptycha. The most preferred microhabitats of anurans were soil and water. Finally, even though an association between body temperature and air temperature was found, substrate temperature proved to be the most important source of thermal regulation for most anuran species investigated.

Body Size, Age and Growth Pattern of the most represented anurans in Inselbergs of northeastern Argentina

Jose Miguel Piñeiro, Rodrigo Cajade, Federico Marangoni — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0300

The decline of biodiversity is an urgent concern that raises significant alarm today. Several species vanish without their biology being understood, or sometimes, even without awareness of their existence. Due to the significance that the Inselbergs has to biodiversity and nature, as they have been recognized as genuine evolutionary laboratories, they present a unique opportunity
to enhance our understanding of biologically unexplored species. Our study presents the first information regarding the body size, age and growth pattern of Scinax fuscovarius, Odontophrynus asper, and Melanophryniscus atroluteus, the three most frequently encountered anuran species in the Inselbergs outcrops of northeastern Argentina. We have demonstrated that the variations in body size cannot be attributed to the effect of the specific hill where the species inhabit. We discovered that sexual dimorphism in age and the analyzed morphological variables is expressed differently in the three examined species. We also demonstrated that the observed differences in body size between populations of M. atroluteus of Inselbergs and the Atlantic Forest of Argentina can be attributed to differences in age at sexual maturity and growth patterns. However, we believe that other proximate mechanisms should be taken into account, such as the effects of the environment and inter- and intra-specific competition experienced during the larval stages, for a better understanding of the population differences in adult body size and age. Our findings will assist in the evaluation of species management and conservation strategies within their habitat.

Composition, richness, abundance, and association of anuran fauna with the flooded habitats in the Ariri district, eastern Amazon

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0300

Local inventories provide primary key information on diversity and distribution of species for conservation purposes. Here we describe the composition and conservation status of anuran fauna in flooded habitats eastern Amazon and evaluate to preference and the level of association of species with the flooded habitats in a poorly known area of the flooded forest present in the Ariri district, state of Amapá, North Brazil. Four nocturnal sampling events were carried out during the rainy season: beginning of the rainy season (March-May 2014 and December 2014-February 2015), mid rainy season (June-August 2014), and end of rainy season (September-November 2014), using visual encounter survey. We identified 29 anuran species. According to flooded habitat preference, the highest richness of species was found in high várzea (22 species, 75.9%, H’ = 3.091), and 16 species (55.2%) was recorded with high association with flooded habitats. Including all flooded habitats, a greater number of constant species were found, followed by accessory and accidental species. Species accumulation curve showed a tendency toward stabilization of species richness only in the end of rainy season. Our study provides important data on the local anuran fauna and the presence of species typical of flooded and non-flooded habitats demonstrates a certain degree of similarity between species composition, reinforcing the importance of flooded habitats for the preservation of anurans of the Amazonia Forest in north Brazil.

Primeros registros de Cercosaura parkeri (Ruibal, 1952) (Sauria, Gymnophthalmidae) en la ecorregión Chaco Seco de Argentina

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0300

New records and distribution extension of Acanthochelys macrocephala (Rhodin, Mittermeier & McMorris 1984) in midwestern Brazil

Sat, 30 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0300