NORTH-WESTERN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 8 (1): 107-111 ©NwjZ, Oradea, Romania, 2012 Article No.: 121104 http://biozoojournals.3x.ro/nwjz/index.html Description of the advertisement call and morphometry of Haddadus binotatus (Spix, 1824) from a population from southern Bahia, Brazil. Iuri Ribeiro DIAS1,*, Ricardo LOURENÇO-DE-MORAES2 and Mirco SOLÉ1,2 1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (UESC), Rodovia Ilhéus-Itabuna, km 16, Ilhéus, Bahia, CEP 45662-000, Brazil. 2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (UESC), Rodovia Ilhéus-Itabuna, km 16, Ilhéus, Bahia, CEP 45662-000, Brazil. * Corresponding author, I.R. Dias, E-mail: [email protected] Received: 14. July 2011 / Accepted: 08. December 2011 / Available online: 08. January 2012 / Printed: June 2012 Abstract. Currently there are only two recognized species in the genus Haddadus; however advertisement calls are known for neither of them. Herein, we describe the advertisement call of Haddadus binotatus from males recorded at the Serra Bonita reserve in the municipality of Camacan in southern Bahia, Brazil and provide morphometric data to allow further comparison with individuals from other localities. The advertisement call of the studied population can be characterized as short and low-pitched, with a low volume sound, consisting of a single note made up of 3-6 pulses and a length of 0.012-0.033 s. The dominant frequency ranges from 1033.6-1464.3 Hz. The SVL of males ranged between 32-38.6 mm and females between 50-55.8 mm. Females were significantly larger than males. Our data can help solving identity problems within this species, which is thought to be a species complex. Key words: Craugastoridae, Bioacoustics, Atlantic Forest, Bahia, Brazil. Introduction these populations. As in the original description Spix (1824) did not determine the type locality of Haddadus binotatus is a frog that lives on the leaf H. binotatus, these authors believe that Spix gave litter of Atlantic Rainforest remnants and has a that name to specimens from the states of Espírito wide geographical distribution ranging from the Santo and Bahia, however Bokermann (1966) at- states of Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul (Sluys & Ro- tributed the city of Rio de Janeiro as the probable cha 2008). It is characterized by direct develop- type locality of this species. ment of their terrestrial eggs, which are deposited Bioacoustic studies have become a pivotal tool on fallen logs (Izecksohn & Carvalho-e-Silva 2001). in taxonomic studies of frogs, since the advertise- Using morphological and molecular data ment call is a mechanism of pre-zygotic isolation Hedges et al (2008) divided the family Eleuthero- between sympatric species (Duellman & Pyles dactylidae into several families and genera. Due to 1983) and each species has a distinct call (Fou- some very distinct characters observed in the clade quette 1960, Lingnau et al. 2008, Caldart et al. Eleutherodactylus “binotatus”, the authors proposed 2011). The structure of the advertisement call has a new genus for this species, Haddadus and placed been used to solve taxonomic problems (e.g. Kwet there the two species of the clade (“Eleutherodacty- et al. 2001, Heyer & Juncá 2003, Haddad & Sazima lus” binotatus and “Eleutherodactylus” plicifer), in- 2004). cluding them in a new family “Craugastoridae”. Herein we describe the advertisement call of a This family comprehends the genus Haddadus to- population of Haddadus binotatus from southern gether with the genus Craugastor (Cope 1862). Bahia and provide data on the morphology of this Both genera share similar morphological and mo- population, thus supporting further taxonomic lecular characteristics, counting almost 113 species studies aimed at defining the specific limits of this within the family. species. Haddadus binotatus shows large morphological variability throughout its distribution, probably containing more than one valid species under this Material and Methods name (Ribeiro et al. 2005, Forlani et al. 2010). The advertisement calls of three males were recorded in Haddad & Sazima (1992) drew attention to the the Serra Bonita reserve, in the municipality Camacan, large size of H. binotatus from southeastern Brazil state of Bahia, Brazil (15º 25'19.4'' S; 39º 32'26.6'' W). Two and questioned the application of this name to individuals (MZUESC 8421, 8611) were recorded using a 108 Dias, I.R. et. al Sennheiser ME45 microphone with a K6 power module tervals of 31.98 ± 17.15s (16.16-100.36s). Note connected to a Tascam DR1 digital recorder. The third in- emission rate was 0.51 notes/min. The duration of dividual (MZUESC 8906) was recorded using an Olym- the pulses was 0.0026 ± 0.0009s (0.001-0.006s), is- pus VN-3100PC digital recorder with an internal micro- sued at intervals of 0.00285 ± 0.0014s (0.001- phone. Recordings were made from a distance of about 50 cm from the frogs. 0.006s). The first pulse of the note shows a lower From each individual 20 advertisement calls were intensity and is sometimes hard to identify (Fig. 2). analyzed. Temporal (call duration, pulse duration and in- The dominant frequency was 1172.9 ± 122.9 Hz terval between calls and pulses and repetition rate) and (1033.6-1464.3 Hz) and the used frequency range spectral features (dominant frequency and frequency am- was between 456 and 1999 Hz. The analyzed indi- plitude) of the call were analyzed using the software Ra- viduals used only five dominant frequency values ven Pro 1.3 at 44.1 kHz and 16 bit resolution. Sonograms (1033.6; 1205.9; 1292.0; 1378.0; 1464.3 Hz). One of were made with FFT of 150 points, 90% overlap and win- dows hamming. Terminology follows Duellman & Trueb the analyzed specimens always showed the same (1986). Air temperature was measured with a digital hy- dominant frequency at 1033.6 Hz. In some calls it grometer with an accuracy of 0.5° C. Vouchers were de- is possible to observe a second frequency band be- posited at the zoological collection of Universidade de tween 2300 and 4100 Hz (Fig. 2). A summary of Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia. the acoustic measures of each recorded individual Seventeen morphometric characters from five adult is given in Table 1. males and five adult females were measured in millime- Twelve other individuals were observed vo- ters. Fifteen measurements followed Napoli (2005): SVL (snout-vent length), HL (head length), HW (head width), calizing in herbaceous vegetation, shrubs or on ED (eye diameter), UEW (upper eyelid width), IOD (in- fallen tree trunks 20-80 cm up from the ground. terorbital distance), IND (internarial distance), END (eye- Only three were calling on the leaf litter. We ob- nostril distance), NSD (nostril to tip of snout distance), served males in calling activity during all monthly TD (tympanum diameter), THL (thigh length), TL (tibia visits from January to December 2010. Usually the length), FL (foot length), 3FD (third finger disk diameter), calling activity initiated or increased soon after and 4TD (fourth toe disk diameter). Other two measures rainfall in the study area. Frogs were generally ob- used were the length of the first (F1) and the second fin- ger (F2). All measures were taken with a Mitutoyo caliper served calling in groups of 3-10 individuals inside with an accuracy of 0.05 mm. The gender of frogs was de- the forest, but a few males were observed calling termined through the presence of eggs in females and isolated from other males. calling activity of males in the field. The t test (Zar 1984) Morphometric data has been summarized in was used to verify the significance of the differences be- Table 2. The SVL of females was significantly lar- tween measures of males and females. ger than that of males (t= 12.14; p<0.0001). For the studied population HL was a bit larger than HW, SVL was smaller than the sum of THL+TL, ED Results was approximately 1/3 of HL, TD was approxi- Individuals were recorded inside the forest. One mately 2/5 of ED and F2 approximately 3/5 the specimen (MZUESC 8421; SVL = 32 mm) was call- length of F1. No vocal slits or expanded vocal sacs ing on the stem of a shrub 20 cm of the soil with were found in males. an air temperature of 21.4°C, on May 1, 2010 at 22:25 pm. Another male (MZUESC 8611; SVL 38.6 mm) was encountered on July 26, 2010 calling on a Discussion dry stick 30 cm above the ground leaning against a tree trunk, with an air temperature of 17.7°C at Studies dealing with leaf litter anurans have 22:40 pm. The third male (MZUESC 8906; shown that Haddadus binotatus is a locally abun- SVL=33.7 mm) was calling on a fallen log 40 cm dant species within forests (Almeida-Gomes et al. from the ground with an air temperature of 20.5°C 2008, Rocha et al. 2007), but studies on the natural on September 18, 2010 at 18:50 pm. history of this species are rare (Canedo & Rickli The advertisement call (Fig. 1) of the surveyed 2006). population can be characterized as short and low- Machado & Bernardes (2002) reported that in pitched, with a low volume sound. We analyzed the municipality of Londrina, state of Paraná, call- 60 advertisement calls. Each call is composed of a ing activity of this species was linked to the rainy simple note made up of three (21.7%), four season (September to February). Canedo & Rickli (28.3%), five (41.7%) or six pulses (8.3%). Note (2006), while studying ovarian follicles of a popu- lation in the municipality of Belmiro Braga, state length is 0.021 ± 0.006s (0.012-0.033s), issued at in- Advertisement call of Haddadus binotatus 109 Figure 1.