Herpetology Notes, volume 11: 413-415 (2018) (published online on 09 May 2018)

Interspecific amplexus between two treefrogs of the genus Boana Gray, 1825 (Anura: ) in captivity: male-female and male-male pairings

James Eduardo Lago Londero1,2, Rayana dos Santos Feltrin1,2, Marcelo Carvalho da Rocha2,3, André Passaglia Schuch1,2,3 and Maurício Beux dos Santos1,2,*

The communication and recognition among adult in lists of threatened of Brazil and Rio Grande is usually carried out through visual, do Sul State (MMA, 2014; Governo do Estado do Rio chemical, or acoustic signals (Wells, 2007; Belanger and Grande do Sul, 2014), and Boana pulchella (Duméril Corkum, 2009) and might implicate in different sexual and Bibron, 1841) (Anura: Hylidae). On different days interactions (Gómez-Hoyos et al., 2012; Simović et al., adult individuals of Boana curupi (four males and two 2014; Rocha et al., 2015; Berneck et al., 2017). Though females) and B. pulchella (one male and one female) unusual, various types of erroneous pairings have been were collected respectively at the Parque Estadual do reported, such as between live males and deceased Turvo (-27.2327 and -53.8507; datum WGS 1984; females, between males, with inanimate objects, and municipality of Derrubadas) and at the Universidade even between different species (interspecific amplexus), Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) (-29.7137 and - perhaps because of an error in recognizing these signals 53.7161; datum WGS 1984; municipality of Santa (Mollov et al., 2010; Theis and Caldart, 2015). Anurans Maria), both located in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. can use specialised signals to avoid unusual amplexus, Individuals were transported to the Laboratório de such as release calls and body vibrations or inflating Radiação Ultravioleta e Fotobiologia at UFSM, and (Bowcock et al., 2008; Bruning et al., 2010; Mollov et kept in a terrarium (Figure 1A). al., 2010; Izzo et al., 2012). The interspecific amplexus On 16 July 2017, at approximately 22:00 h, we probably results from a reduced capability of the males placed Boana curupi individuals in the terrarium. On to recognise conspecific females, especially during 24 July 2017, at approximately 22:30 h, we added the breeding aggregations of individuals in explosive B. pulchella individuals to the same terrarium. Two breeding species (Marco and Lizana, 2002; Pombal Jr. days later (26 July 2017), we observed an interspecific and Haddad, 2007). amplexus between a male of B. pulchella and a female Herein we report on two types of amplexus between of B. curupi (Figure 1B). This event was observed two southern South America treefrog species that from 17:45 h (air temperature = 24º C) to 22:30 h (air were kept together under captive conditions: Boana temperature = 20º C; relative air humidity ca. 70%). curupi (Garcia, Faivovich and Haddad, 2007), present On 30 August 2017, we observed another interspecific amplexus between B. pulchella and B. curupi, but between two males. This event was observed from 20:23 h to 20:26 h (air temperature = 23º C; relative 1 Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, air humidity 60%). In the event’s video it is possible to Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 97105-900, Santa hear the release calls of the grasped male of B. curupi Maria, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. (Video link: https://youtu.be/8XZX6KhL4z0; duration 2 Centro Regional Sul de Pesquisas Espaciais, CRS/INPE- = 1 min 21 s). MCTIC, 97105-970, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul State, We acknowledge that our observations are based on Brazil. unnatural situations, i.e., Boana pulchella-B. curupi 3 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade , Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 97105-900, Santa pairings under captive conditions, and that these two Maria, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. species are not sympatric in nature. Boana curupi is * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] restricted to the well-maintained remaining fragments of 414 James Eduardo Lago Londero et al.

Figure 1. (A) Panoramic view of the terrarium (60 x 40 x 40 cm). 1 – area for food addition: fruit flies and termites. 2 – vegetation simulation: tree branches and artificial green leaves. 3 – bottom: pebbles from streams and dechlorinated water (3 cm depth). 4 – glass walls: outside covered with paper. The terrarium was covered by a black net (not shown here). (B) Interspecific amplexus between a male of Boana pulchella and a female of B. curupi under captive conditions.

the Southern Atlantic Rainforest (Fontana et al., 2017) in cane toads, Chaunus marinus: what cues influence the and B. pulchella has a wide distribution in southern duration of amplexus? Animal Behaviour 75: 1571–1579. South America (Kwet et al., 2004), but their habitats Bruning, B., Philips, B.L., Shine, R. (2010): Turgid female toads give males the slip: a new mechanism of female mate choice in apparently do not overlap. Boana curupi breeds in lotic the Anura. Biology Letters 6: 322–324. streams (De Bastiani et al., 2016), whereas B. pulchella De Bastiani, V.I.M., Cavasotto, I.E., Ferreira, F., Lucas, E.M. breeds in lentic habitats (Kwet et al., 2004). However, (2016): Ecology and natural history of Hypsiboas curupi (Anura, we speculate that the distinction of sexual signals for Hylidae): An endemic to the southern Atlantic Forest. mating behaviour between B. pulchella and B. curupi Neotropical Biology and Conservation 11: 122-131. may not yet have been well established (Marco and Fontana, R.B., Sangalli, L., Zanella N. (2017): Distribution Lizana, 2002; Wells, 2007). We hope that our results extension of Hypsiboas curupi Garcia, Faivovich & Haddad, 2007 (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae) for Rio Grande do Sul, might inspire future discussions about amphibian southern Brazil. Check List 13: 2044. mating behaviour. Gómez-Hoyos, D.A., Marín-Gómez, O.H., Guerrero, J.V. (2012): Unusual amplexus in Dendropsophus columbianus (Anura: Acknowledgments. We thank the Conselho Nacional de Hylidae). Herpetology Notes 5: 497–498. Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for the Governo do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (2014): Decreto N° financial support (proc. 441407/2014-5). Capture permits were 51.797, de 8 de setembro de 2014. Declara as Espécies da Fauna provided by the Secretaria Estadual do Meio Ambiente, Rio Silvestre Ameaçadas de Extinção no Estado do Rio Grande do Grande do Sul State, Brazil (#104/2016), the Authorization and Sul. Information System on of the Brazilian Ministry Izzo, T.J., Rodrigues, D.J., Menin, M., Lima, A.P., Magnusson, W.E. of Environment (#37928-3 and #55078-1), and the Ethics (2012): Functional necrophilia: a profitable anuran reproductive Committee on Animal Use of the Universidade Federal de Santa strategy? Journal of Natural History 46: 2961–2967. Maria (#091/2014). We also thank Alexandro M. Tozetti for the Kwet, A., Aquino, L., Lavilla, E., Tada, I. (2004). Hypsiboas pre-peer review, and Álvaro A. Mainardi, Fátima C. Mueller and pulchellus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2004: Felipe A. Pavan for collecting the adults of Boana curupi. eT55619A11340514. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/ IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T55619A11340514.en. Last accessed on 30 July 2017. References Marco, A., Lizana, M. (2002): The absence of species and sex Belanger, R.M., Corkum, L.D. (2009): Review of aquatic sex recognition during mate search by male common toads, Bufo pheromones and chemical communication in anurans. Journal bufo. Ethology Ecology and Evolution 14: 1–8. of Herpetology 43: 184–191. MMA/Ministério do Meio Ambiente. 2014. Lista Nacional Oficial Berneck, B.V.M., Segalla, M.V., Haddad, C.F.B. (2017): A first das Espécies da Fauna Brasileira Ameaçadas de Extinção. observation of amplexus in Aplastodiscus (Anura; Hylidae). Portaria nº 444, de 17 de dezembro de 2014. Diário Oficial da Herpetology Notes 10: 351-354. República Federativa do Brasil, Brasília, DF. Seção 1, 245, 121- Bowcock, H., Brown, G.P., Shine, R. (2008): Sexual communication 126. Interspecific amplexus between two treefrogs of the genus Boana in captivity 415

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Accepted by Renato Nali