Ibere Farina Machado

Factors influencing anuran distribution in coastal dune wetlands in southern Brazil

We investigated the potential role of hydroperiod and habitat structural complexity as explanatory factors defining richness, abundance and spatial and temporal distribution of anurans in wetlands of coastal dunes. This survey was performed in 15 wetlands along the Atlantic coastal zone of southern Brazil. We identified 10 anuran species (nine in the adult and eight in the tadpole stage) distributed in seven genera from five families. The adult richness and abundance varied among the hydroperiod classes, but without temporal variations. Both tadpole richness and abundance varied temporally and both were influenced by hydroperiod. Adult anuran composition was associated with dry months and wetland area, whereas tadpole composition was associated with emergent and floating macrophytes, wetland area and vegetation cover. This study identified the importance of habitat structural complexity and hydroperiod in spatial–temporal distribution models of anurans.

Check-list of diversity of anurans in Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) and a classification propose for larvals forms

As ocorrencias de novas especies de anuros, aliadas as recentes revisoes taxonomicas de diversos generos, estimulam a elaboracao de uma atualizacao na lista de especies de anuros ( check-list ) para o Rio Grande do Sul. Essas informacoes sao valiosas para o conhecimento de sua diversidade, principalmente quando se trata de um grupo tao ameacado de extincao. O conhecimento sobre a diversidade biologica de anuros poderia ser maior se houvesse mais estudos realizados sobre seus estagios larvais. A utilizacao de uma chave de identificacao de girinos para o estado pode contribuir muito para o conhecimento dessa diversidade. Nesse sentido, os objetivos desse estudo foram elaborar uma lista atualizada das especies de anuros para o RS com informacoes sobre a descricao das formas larvais e elaborar a primeira chave artificial de identificacao de girinos baseada nas caracteristicas morfologicas externas. Atualmente, conhecem-se 84 especies de anuros para o RS, distribuidos em dez familias, das quais 50 possuem suas larvas conhecidas, sendo a maior parte larvas exotroficas aquaticas (47 spp.). Porem, somente cinco especies foram descritas baseada em populacoes do estado. Com a reuniao das informacoes sobre as especies e a caracterizacao de suas larvas, espera-se atenuar o esparso conhecimento sobre a anurofauna no Rio Grande do Sul. A chave de identificacao apresentada e um primeiro esforco no sentido de auxiliar trabalhos de monitoramentos e impactos ambientais, alem de estudos academicos. Palavras-chave: levantamento da biodiversidade, Anura, girino, regiao Neotropical.

Effects of pine invasion on anurans assemblage in southern Brazil coastal ponds

The destruction of wetlands due to afforestation areas is a common activity in temperate and subtropical regions in Southern America. The expansion of pine in the Coastal Plain of Southern Brazil is out of control and its impacts on aquatic biodiversity are little known. We tested the following hypotheses: the pine occurrence diminishes the anuran richness and abundance in ponds and it changes the anuran composition; the beta-diversity between pine and native grassland matrix ponds (natural ponds) is determined mainly by nestedness. Sampling was carried out from 2007 to 2009 in five ponds in pine invasion matrix and five ponds in native grassland matrix. The natural ponds showed a greater richness of tadpoles (10 species) than pine ponds (5 species). The mean richness of adults was higher in natural ponds than pine ponds throughout the entire study. The species composition was different between natural and pine ponds, for both adults and tadpoles. Comparing natural ponds with each other and the pine ponds with each other, our results showed that neither nestedness nor turnover was determinant for beta-diversity. However, when natural ponds were compared with pine ones, we found that the contribution of nestedness was higher for the anurans beta-diversity than turnover. Increases in the nestedness mechanism indicated that the pine occurrence results in species loss in Southern Brazil ponds. Since 90% of its wetland has been already affected, the removal of Pinus in the conservation areas in southern Brazil is important to minimize their impacts on aquatic biodiversity.

CALLING PERIOD AND REPRODUCTIVE MODES IN AN ANURAN COMMUNITY OF A TEMPORARY POND IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

Abstract The objectives of this study were to describe the calling sites and identify the reproductive modes for the anuran assemblage in a temporary pond associated to a floodplain system in a Neotropical region in Southern Brazil. In this study we analyzed the influence of temperature, rainfall and hydroperiod on the calling activity of an anuran assemblage. A total of 19 amphibian collections were carried out over a year (from September 2004 to August 2005). Seventeen anuran species of six families were identified: Bufonidae (1), Cycloramphidae (1), Hylidae (6), Leiuperidae (4), Leptodactylidae (4) and Microhylidae (1); however, only fifteen species were observed in calling activity. Three reproductive modes were observed for the community, and the habitat use was temporally and spatially partitioned. 66.7% of the species had the generalized aquatic mode. The anurans presented a prolonged calling activity, and only Chaunus fernandezae presented an explosive pattern. While rainfall for the previous 24 h, air temperature and water depth influenced the calling activity of many anuran species over the studied period, daily rainfall, rainfall for the previous 24 h and water temperature did not influence it.

Dynamics of the terrestrial amphibian assemblage in a flooded riparian forest fragment in a Neotropical region in the south of Brazil

The aim of this study was to analyze the richness, abundance and composition of the terrestrial amphibian assemblage in a flooded riparian forest fragment in a Neotropical region in the south of Brazil over a year (2002-2003). A total of 1,265 terrestrial amphibians were captured, representing 12 species and six families. Leiuperidae represented 41.7 and 56.3% of the total number of species and individuals captured, respectively. The amphibian richness and abundance were higher in the Spring-Summer than in the Autumn-Winter period, and these attributes did not change after the flood events. However, the floods homogeneously distributed the amphibian species over the fragment. Our study documented the terrestrial amphibians use in a riparian forest fragment associated to a floodplain system in the south of Brazil, showing the importance of these habitats as possible dispersal corridors among nearby wetlands.

Amphibia, Anura, Centrolenidae, Vitreorana uranoscopa (Müller, 1924): distribution extension in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

The glass frog Vitreorana uranoscopa (Muller, 1924) has been considered a vulnerable species for the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. This note recorded the presence of the species for Sao Marcos municipality, extending the species distribution towards eastern region of the state.

Fritziana ulei (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1926): geographic extension, with comments on the natural history of this species

We report new records of Fritziana ulei (Miranda- Ribeiro, 1926) from Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo states, Brazil, extending the geographic distribution of this species south from its previously known range. The new records are from areas of marshland in the Atlantic Forest biome and are about 480 m lower in altitude than all previously known occurrences.

Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae, Scinax cardosoi (Carvalho-e-Silva & Peixoto, 1991): distribution extension and new state record for São Paulo, Brazil

Specimens of Scinax cardosoi were collected in the vicinity of temporary lentic waterbodies within the Atlantic Rainforest of the Vale do Paraiba region of Sao Paulo state, Brazil. These record increases the distribution of this species by 236 km from the nearest previous records in Minas Gerais state and 313 km from its type locality in Rio de Janeiro state. Here we report the first record of Scinax cardosoi for the Sao Paulo state.

An unusual event of vertebrate predation by an insectivorous lizard

The knowledge about Enyalius perditus Jackson, 1978 (Leiosauridae) indicates that the main food items are invertebrates. However, this communication is the first vertebrate predation report, the lizard Hemidactylus mabouia (Moureau De Jonnes, 1818) (Gekkonidae) in a remnant of Atlantic Forest in Ubatuba, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. This record highlights the lack of knowledge concerning the natural history of E. perditus and adds information about types of prey as food source. Keywords: Atlantic Forest, diet, feeding habits, natural history, prey-predator relationships.