Caroline Zank

Climate Change and the Distribution of Neotropical Red-Bellied Toads (Melanophryniscus, Anura, Amphibia): How to Prioritize Species and Populations?

We used species distribution modeling to investigate the potential effects of climate change on 24 species of Neotropical anurans of the genus Melanophryniscus. These toads are small, have limited mobility, and a high percentage are endangered or present restricted geographical distributions. We looked at the changes in the size of suitable climatic regions and in the numbers of known occurrence sites within the distribution limits of all species. We used the MaxEnt algorithm to project current and future suitable climatic areas (a consensus of IPCC scenarios A2a and B2a for 2020 and 2080) for each species. 40% of the species may lose over 50% of their potential distribution area by 2080, whereas 28% of species may lose less than 10%. Four species had over 40% of the currently known occurrence sites outside the predicted 2080 areas. The effect of climate change (decrease in climatic suitable areas) did not differ according to the present distribution area, major habitat type or phylogenetic group of the studied species. We used the estimated decrease in specific suitable climatic range to set a conservation priority rank for Melanophryniscus species. Four species were set to high conservation priority: M. montevidensis, (100% of its original suitable range and all known occurrence points potentially lost by 2080), M. sp.2, M. cambaraensis, and M. tumifrons. Three species (M. spectabilis, M. stelzneri, and M. sp.3) were set between high to intermediate priority (more than 60% decrease in area predicted by 2080); nine species were ranked as intermediate priority, while eight species were ranked as low conservation priority. We suggest that monitoring and conservation actions should be focused primarily on those species and populations that are likely to lose the largest area of suitable climate and the largest number of known populations in the short-term.

Calling activity and agonistic behavior of Pseudis minuta Günther, 1858 (Anura, Hylidae, Hylinae) in the Reserva Biológica do Lami, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Abstract The calling activity and agonistic behavior of Pseudis minuta Günther, 1858 were described based on observations made in the Reserva Biológica do Lami, Porto Alegre municipality, Brazil. Field work included bimonthly surveys in one semipermanent pond, each lasting approximately two days and two nights, from August 2004 to July 2005. Males produced three distinct calls: the advertisement call and two aggressive calls. The dominant frequency of the advertisement call was not correlated with the mass or the snout-vent length of the recorded males. We observed two agonistic interactions between males: one involved acoustic interaction, and the other, acoustic and physical interactions. Calling activity was primarily nocturnal, and occasionally diurnal, with peak at about 2300 h. The number of calling males varied significantly through the year with a peak in September.

Anura, Bufonidae, Melanophryniscus simplex: Distribution extension.

The genus Melanophryniscus currently includes 20 species distributed in southern Brazil, southern Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and central and northern Argentina (Di-Bernardo et al. 2006). To date, nine species of Melanophryniscus are known to occur in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Following Caramaschi and Cruz (2002), three species, M. atroluteus, M. dorsalis, and M. montevidensis (see Braun and Braun 1980; Tedros et al. 2001), are included in the Melanophryniscus stelzneri species group; five, M. macrogranulosus, M. cambaraensis, M. tumifrons M. pachyrhynus, and M. devincenzii (see Braun and Braun, 1973; 1979; 1980; Caramaschi and Cruz 2002; Zanella et al. 2007), are in the Melanophryniscus tumifrons group; and M. admirabilis is unassigned to any group (Di-Bernardo et al. 2006).

Vocalization of Hylodes meridionalis (Mertens 1927) (Anura, Hylodidae) in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, with comments on nocturnal calling in the family Hylodidae

We describe the advertisement and territorial calls of Hylodes meridionalis for the first time and provide observations on nocturnal calling activity for this species. The advertisement call has 36–82 harmonic notes, with duration of 2.71–5.69 s and dominant frequency on the third harmonic. Advertisement calls are separated by large intervals varying from 18.7 to 44.7 s. The territorial call has 1–3 notes, with duration of 0.039–0.567 seconds, and dominant frequency also on the third harmonic. Territorial calls are emitted at a much higher repetition rate than the advertisement call, with intervals of 1.1–1.6 s between each call. Frogs of the genus Hylodes are known to call mainly during the day, but for H. meridionalis nocturnal calling was observed on various occasions, and could occur regularly until two hours after sunset, or sporadically along the night. Descrevemos os cantos de anúncio e territorial de Hylodes meridionalis pela primeira vez e fornecemos observações sobre a atividade noturna de vocalização para esta espécie. O canto de anúncio tem 36–82 notas harmônicas, com duração de 2,71–5,69 segundos e frequência dominante no terceiro harmônico. Há grandes intervalos entre os cantos de anúncio, de 18,7–44,7 segundos. O canto territorial tem 1–3 notas, com duração de 0,039–0,567 segundos, e frequência dominante também no terceiro harmônico. Cantos territoriais são emitidos a uma taxa de repetição muito mais elevado do que o canto de anúncio, com intervalos de 1,1–1,6 segundos entre cada canto. As espécies do gênero Hylodes são conhecidas por vocalizar principalmente durante o dia, mas machos de H. meridionalis foram observados em atividade de vocalização noturna em várias ocasiões, sendo que podem vocalizar regularmente até duas horas após o pôr do sol, ou esporadicamente ao longo da noite.

Amphibia, Anura, Cycloramphidae, Proceratophrys bigibbosa (Peters, 1872) and Proceratophrys brauni Kwet and Faivovich, 2001: distribution extension and new state record

Proceratophrys Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 includes 18 species of cycloramphids (Frost 2009) commonly known as the smooth horned frogs (Frank and Ramus 1995). As indicated by the group’s common name, the eyelids of many species are adorned with elongate dermal appendages (for review see Prado and Pombal 2008). Several other species of Proceratophrys lack conspicuous palpebral appendages, including the type species P. bigibbosa (Peters 1872) and P. brauni Kwet and Faivovich 2001. These species are included in the P. bigibbosa species group, which was characterized by Lynch (1971) as lacking hornlike palpebral appendages and having a short, blunt snout, postocular cranial protuberances, and large marginal tubercles on eyelids.

Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae, Leptodactylus furnarius : rediscovery and distribution extension in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Leptodactylus furnarius Sazima and Bokermann, 1978 (Figure 1) belongs to the Leptodactylus fuscus species group (Frost 2007), which contains species that build underground chambers to lay eggs in foam nests (Giaretta and Kokubum 2004). Males vocalize on wet ground and shallow water bodies where low and sparse vegetation grows or inside the chambers, near to their foam nests (Achaval and Olmos 2003; Eterovick and Sazima 2004).