Herpetology Notes, volume 13: 667-669 (2020) (published online on 06 August 2020)

Antipredator mechanisms of Bokermannohyla oxente Lugli and Haddad, 2006 in the Northeast of Brazil

Ubiratã F. Souza¹,*, José A. M. Souza Júnior2, Letícia A. S. dos Santos2, Alcina G. M. M. F. Santos¹, Francisco P. B. B. Guimarães1,2, Geraldo J. B. de Moura1,2, and Moacir S. Tinôco1,2

Most anurans suffer greater environmental pressures B. oxente. The juveniles were found on the vegetation compared to other vertebrates, because during near a waterfall and inside a bromeliad, making ours the their life cycle they inhabit aquatic and terrestrial first record of B. oxente attending a bromeliad (Fig. 1A). environments, and are subject to predation by both The adult was found calling on a rock at the margin of vertebrates and invertebrates (Tilman, 1986). Along a waterfall. Its dorsal brown colour resembles the rock the evolution, anurans developed behavioural and substrate near the waterfall, acting as a camouflage (Fig. morphophysiological mechanisms to avoid predation 1B). Camouflage is a symplesiomorphic trait in Anura (Toledo et al., 2011; Mailho-Fontana et al., 2014). (Ferreira et al., 2019). Antipredator mechanisms can be divided basically into three categories: avoiding detection, preventing attacks and counterattacking (Ferreira et al., 2019). In the present study we provide the first reports of antipredator mechanisms of Bokermannohyla oxente Lugli and Haddad, 2006. Bokermannohyla oxente is an anuran of medium size (snout-vent length ca. 42 mm; Lugli and Haddad, 2006). The species belongs to the family and is endemic to the Chapada Diamantina highlands, with distribution within the municipalities of Lençóis, Andaraí, Mucugê and Palmeiras, all forming part of the Sincorá mountain range, Bahia State, northeastern Brazil. The species also occurs at the municipality of Rio de Contas, to the south of Chapada Diamantina and north of the Espinhaço mountain range, Bahia State (Frost, 2019). On 6 October 2019, during a herpetological expedition in the Parque Municipal de Mucugê, municipality of Mucugê (12.9924°S, 41.3409°W;Datum WGS84; 940 m a.s.l.), we found two juveniles and one adult of

¹ Laboratório de Estudos Herpetológicos e Paleoherpetológicos, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, 52171-900, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. 2 Centro de Ecologia e Conservação , Universidade Católica do Salvador, 41740-090, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Figure 1. (A) Juvenile of Bokermannohyla oxente found * Corresponding author. E-mail: on a bromeliad rosette. (B) Adult of B. oxente using rock [email protected] camouflage. Photographs by Ubiratã Souza. 668 Ubiratã F. Souza et al.

Figure 2. Antipredator mechanisms registered for Bokermannohyla oxente: (A) and (B) Juveniles presenting thanatosis or death- feigning; (C) Juvenile presenting contracting; (D) Juvenile presenting legs interweaving or limbs interweave; (E) Adult presenting thanatosis or death-feigning; (F) Adult presenting contracting. Photographs by Ubiratã Souza.

We collected the individuals and placed in photographic Acknowledgements. We thank the Universidade Federal Rural de studios. During their handling they presented the Pernambuco, Universidade Católica do Salvador and the Parque following antipredator mechanisms: legs interweaving Municipal de Mucugê for their assistance. Financial support was or limbs interweave, contracting, and thanatosis or provided by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado death-feigning (Fig. 2). The nomenclature of the da Bahia (FAPESB), scholarship program. Research was approved mechanisms followed Ferreira et al. (2019). All three by the ICMBio (SISBIO capture permit # 59245-1) and the individuals presented thanatosis or death-feigning (Fig. Ethical Use of Committee (CEUA) of the Universidade 2A,B,E), a strategy used by anurans when distressed Federal Rural de Pernambuco (protocol # 23082.006641/2019-29). to cause predator disinterest (Toledo et al., 2011). Two Collected specimens are deposited at the Coleção Herpetológica do individuals (Fig. 2B,F) contracted their limbs toward Centro de Ecologia e Conservação Animal, Universidade Católica the body with the belly up, characterising contracting, do Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil, under the vouchers CHECOA a behaviour that is usually exhibited after the is 4039-41. subdued or stressed by the potential predator (Sazima, 1974; Toledo et al., 2011). Literature suggests it behaves References in this manner to possibly facilitate the secretion of Ferreira, R.B. Lourenço-de-Moraes, R., Zocca, C., Duca, C., Beard, skin exudates and prevent injury, thus protecting vital K.H., Brodie Jr, E.D. (2019): Antipredator mechanisms of post- organs (Sazima, 1974). Only one individual presented metamorphic anurans: a global database and classification legs interweaving or limbs interweave (Fig. 2D), a system. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 73: 69. mechanism that is linked to facilitating the spread of Frost, D.R. (2019): species of the world. Available at: http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.html. secretion, feigning lesion to cause predator disinterest, Accessed on 7 October 2019. or showing aposematic colouration (Ferreira et al., Lugli, L., Haddad, C.F.B. (2006): A new species of the 2019), and we infer that aposematism can be discarded Bokermannohyla pseudopseudis group from central Bahia, for this species. We highlight that works like these are Brazil (Amphibia, Hylidae). Herpetologica 62: 453–465. of great importance to better understand natural history Machado, I.F., Mengucci, R.C., Mendes, H.F., Moroti, M.T. (2015): and trophic interactions (Machado et al., 2015). Polyphenism: Defensive colour behaviour of Phasmahyla guttata Antipredator mechanisms of Bokermannohyla oxente in the Northeast of Brazil 669

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Accepted by Renato Nali