Ecologia reprodutiva de Leptodactylus aff. hylaedactylus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) em área de mata de tabuleiro no Nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

It is presented a detailed study on the reproductive ecology of an undescribed amphibiam anura species, called here Leptodactylus aff. hylaedactylus, occurring at São Gonçalo do Amarante, west coast of Ceará. The study was during one year, however, this species showed seasonality, observed only in rainy months, from January to May 2011, with peak in April and showing nocturnal habits. We analyzed the environmental conditions like humidity, temperature and rainfall, and only rainfall showed significance when correlated with abundance of individuals. The species has the reproductive pattern described for the marmoratus group which has underground chambers and foam nest as the main features of reproduction, in these chambers are constructed by the male of the species before attracting the female for mating. The activities occurs in forested areas called “mata de tabuleiro”, vocalizing mainly in litter leaf, however, were observed males calling to about 30cm of soil. Males calls to attract females and if she to be interested in mating, displays leg kicking, after, they head to the chambers to mate. We found four underground chambers of 3.33 cm diameter and 2.32 cm depth mean. Three of these chambers were found with presence of foam nest and tadpoles inside (n= 9, 9 and 10). This species has no aquatic phase for the development of tadpoles, resulting in the reproductive mode 32. There was sexual dimorphism in size and it can be observed morphological differences between males and females, in which males have a rounded snout-shaped shovel. We observed nine visual signaling with one unprecedented being described in this work, called “cabeçadas” in which the male vocalized intensely in the presence of another invader male and then performs backwards movements, removing the arms of the soil, reaching an angle of 30°. Some of these visual displays are aggressive, demonstrating the presence of territorialism in this species.