Jaime Bertoluci

Seasonal patterns of breeding activity of Atlantic Rainforest anurans at Boracéia, Southeastern Brazil

Annual patterns of breeding activity of 28 anuran species were studied at Boraceia, an Atlantic Rainforest locality in the coastal mountains of Southeastern Brazil. Five patterns were evident: (1) species that call year-round; (2) opportunistic calling activity associated with rainfall; (3) explosive breeding; (4) winter activity; and (5) summer species with variable breeding seasons. The number of species with calling males was positively correlated with mean monthly temperature.

Anurans of the Serra do Caraça, southeastern Brazil: species composition and phenological patterns of calling activity

Annual patterns of calling and breeding activity of 38 anuran species were studied at Serra do Caraca, an 11,233 ha reserve located in a contact zone between Cerrado and Atlantic forest at the southern Espinhaco range, southeastern Brazil. Five patterns were evident: (1) species that call year-round or nearly year-round with larger aggregations generally observed in the rainy months, (2) species with opportunistic calling activity associated with rainfall during the wettest months of the year, (3) winter species, (4) explosive breeders with intense calling activity triggered by heavy rains during the rainy season or only in the beginning of the rainy season, and (5) summer species with variable breeding seasons. Both the monthly number of species with calling males and the monthly number of species that showed the maximum class of calling males were positively correlated with both mean monthly temperature and monthly precipitation.

Species composition and similarities among anuran assemblages of forest sites in southeastern Brazil

Neotropical forests show high anuran species richness, but some Brazilian forest formations, like cerradao, semideciduous forests and restingas, remain poorly known. The composition of anuran species were determined for four forest sites belonging to different biomes in southeastern Brazil, based on two complementary techniques (visual encounter survey and survey on breeding sites), both applied simultaneously. A total of 60 anuran species belonging to eight families was recorded. Species richness and levels of endemism were higher in the Atlantic rainforest site. Sites located in the Cerrado domain were more alike than those located in the Atlantic Forest Domain. Similarity in anuran species composition was negatively correlated to the geographical distance among sites, which explains part of similarities in species composition. Factors affecting these occurrence patterns are discussed. One species (if its identity is confirmed) is considered Data Deficient by IUCN (The World Conservation Union), though it is not included in the Brazilian list of threatened amphibians. The presence of certain species with special habitats and microclimate requirements (bioindicators) suggests well-preserved ecosystems.

Anuros do cerrado da Estação Ecológica e da Floresta Estadual de Assis, sudeste do Brasil

The Brazilian cerrado is a hotspot of biodiversity, areas with many endemic species subjected to severe habitat loss. About 150 amphibian species are known to the Brazilian cerrado, and 28% of them are endemic. Studies focusing cerrado anuran communities are rare. Here we provide a commented list of anurans of two conservation unities of the municipality of Assis, southeastern Brazil: the Estacao Ecologica de Assis and the Floresta Estadual de Assis. Twenty three anuran species were recorded, and these belong to 13 genera and six families. The anuran fauna of the cerrado of Assis is dominated by the families Hylidae (eight species) and Leptodactylidae (six species), a pattern commonly found in neotropical sites. Species richness and taxonomic composition at the family level were similar to those of other Brazilian cerrados and perturbed areas characterized by deforestation and increase of open areas. The taxocenosis contains species widespread in open formations of the Cerrado-Caatinga-Chaco complex.

Composição, uso de hábitat e estações reprodutivas das espécies de anuros da floresta de restinga da Estação Ecológica Juréia-Itatins, sudeste do Brasil

Herein we present data on species composition, habitat use, and calling seasons of anurans from the Restinga forest of the Estacao Ecologica Jureia-Itatins, Southeastern Brazil. The study site was visited monthly (3 to 4 days) between February and December 1993, a total of 28 days of field work. Three previously selected puddles were searched for anurans between 6:00 and 10:30 PM, when the number of calling males of each species was estimated and the positions of their calling sites were recorded. Anuran fauna is composed by 20 species, the highest richness ever recorded in a Brazilian restinga habitat. According to IUCN criteria, eight of these species have populations declining mainly due to habitat loss. Eleven species showed calling males in the three pools monitored during the study period; most hylids showed some vertical segregation on the marginal vegetation used as calling sites. Scinax hayii and S. littoralis were considered continuous breeders, but the calling and breeding period of most species was associated to the rainy season. The high species richness recorded and the indication of declining populations for some species outside the area suggest the E.E. Jureia-Itatins has a high potential to preserve anuran fauna.

Herpetofauna da Estação Ambiental de Peti, um fragmento de Mata Atlântica do estado de Minas Gerais, sudeste do Brasil

Here we provide a list of amphibians and reptiles of Estacao de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Ambiental de Peti, an Atlantic rainforest reserve located in the mountains of the Espinhaco Range, State of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. This list originated from a 78-days inventory conducted in the area 13 years after a first inventory. We actively searched for amphibians and reptiles in forest trails and anuran breeding sites. Between April 2002 and October 2004 we recorded 48 species belonging to Anura (29 species), Gymnophiona (1), Chelonia (1), Crocodylia (1), and Squamata (16 species: one amphisbaenian, five lizards and 10 snakes). Thirteen species were not recorded in the first inventory, and 14 species previously recorded were not found in the present work. Possible explanations for these differences are discussed. Although none of the recorded species is included in the available lists of threatened species for the State of Minas Gerais and Brazil, the reserve must be considered an important source of natural habitats to the local herpetofauna.

Food habits of snakes from the RPPN Feliciano Miguel Abdala, an Atlantic Forest fragment of southeastern Brazil

We present data on the diet of 15 species of snakes belonging to a community from Reserva Particular do Patrimonio Natural Feliciano Miguel Abdala, an Atlantic Forest fragment of Southeastern Brazil, based on their stomach contents. For 12 items we were able to determine the direction of the ingestion. Most snakes ingested the prey head-first. A cluster analysis was conducted with items grouped as chilopods, mollusks, adult anurans, anuran tadpoles, lizards, amphisbaenians, snakes, and rodents. The phylogenetic influence on diet preferences is discussed.

Anurofauna da Floresta Estacional Semidecidual da Estação Ecológica dos Caetetus, Sudeste do Brasil

Semi-deciduous Forest is one of the most threatened and deforested vegetation types of Brazil due to its land conversion to agriculture in the beginning of the 20th Century; its distribution is now reduced to less than 8% of its original extent. Studies about anuran taxocenosis associated to these forests are scarce, even when we consider the remaining areas of pristine forest. We present herein results from an amphibian survey at the Estacao Ecologica dos Caetetus, a conservation unit with a singular preserved Semi-deciduous Forest from the Middle-West region of the State of Sao Paulo, located inside the priority areas for conservation on Sao Paulo State. We provided here data on species richness, composition, geographical distribution, and natural history notes for each taxa found in the area. We recorded 34 anuran species belonging to nine families, of which Hylidae and Leptodactylidae are the two most speciose families, with 14 and eight species respectively. The high species richness in the area, mainly in the family Hylidae, can be explained by both the high environmental heterogeneity of this remnant and its geographic location between Cerrado savannas and Atlantic rain forest areas. Its high species richness when compared with other localities of the same vegetation type, as well as the presence of forest dependent species in the families Centrolenidae, Hylodidae and Craugastoridae, indicate both the good conservation status and the regional importance of this forest remnant.

Reproductive Allometry of Podocnemis expansa (Testudines: Podocnemididae) in Southern Brazilian Amazon

Abstract Podocnemis expansa is the largest freshwater turtle in South America and exhibits a complex reproductive behavior. Females lay eggs in sandy banks formed during the dry season. Nesting habitat can influence hatching success and sex determination. In some turtle species, female body size is crucial to determine reproductive parameters such as clutch size and shape. In this study, we investigate allometric relationships between female body size and their tracks, and clutch characteristics and nest shape in sandy beaches along the Javaés River, southern Brazilian Amazon. Our results indicate that female body size can be estimated based on tracks. Larger females leave larger foot tracks in the sand and have larger clutch sizes with larger clutch mass than smaller females. Female carapace width and body mass can be considered reliable variables to estimate clutch size and total clutch mass for the species. Larger females should be protected because they can be responsible for most annual clutch production. Resumo Podocnemis expansa é o maior quelônio de água doce da América do Sul, apresentando um comportamento reprodutivo complexo. Essa espécie nidifica em bancos arenosos formados durante as vazantes dos rios da Amazônia. As características do ambiente de nidificação podem influenciar o sucesso reprodutivo e o sexo dos filhotes. Alguns trabalhos já demonstraram que o tamanho corporal da fêmea é determinante para as condições da ninhada (quantidade e tamanho dos ovos) e nas dimensões dos ninhos (profundidade e diâmetro) em algumas espécies de quelônios. O presente estudo investigou as relações alométricas entre o tamanho corpóreo da fêmea, seus rastros, as variáveis da ninhada e a forma dos ninhos em ambiente natural em uma praia do rio Javaés, na Amazônia Brasileira. Foi observado que o tamanho corpóreo da fêmea de P. expansa pode ser estimado em função do seu rastro. Fêmeas maiores deixam rastros maiores na areia, além de produzirem mais ovos (tamanho da ninhada) e com maior massa (massa da ninhada) do que fêmeas menores. A largura da carapaça e a massa da fêmea podem ser consideradas variáveis confiáveis para estimar o tamanho e a massa da ninhada dessa espécie. A proteção de fêmeas de maior tamanho deveria ser priorizada, já que podem ser responsáveis por grande parte da produção anual de ovos.

Primeiro registro de larvas de Chironomus inquinatus Correia, Trivinho-Strixino & Michailova (Diptera, Chironomidae) vivendo no casco do cágado Phrynops geoffroanus Schweigger (Testudines, Chelidae) na região Neotropical

In this study we report for the first time the occurrence of Chironomus inquinatus larvae Correia, Trivinho-Strixino & Michailova living on the shell of the side-necked turtle, Phrynops geoffroanus Schweigger, possibly by the intense accumulation of sediment, in a polluted river of the Neotropics.