Herpetology Notes, volume 13: 773-775 (2020) (published online on 24 September 2020) Filling the distribution gap of Boana exastis (Anura: Hylidae) within Bahia State, with an updated geographic distribution map Arielson dos Santos Protázio1,* and Airan dos Santos Protázio2 Boana exastis (Caramaschi and Rodrigues, 2003) is et al., 2018, 2019) mountain ranges in the southwest a stream-breeding tree frog (snout-vent length ca. 88 area of the region known as “Recôncavo Baiano”. The mm) described from southeastern Bahia State, Brazil, second group occurs north of the São Francisco River, and endemic to the Atlantic Forest biome (Caramaschi in fragments of Atlantic Forest in Alagoas State, in and Rodrigues, 2003; Loebmann et al., 2008). Its dorsal the municipalities of Quebrangulo (Silva et al., 2008), colour pattern (similar to lichen) and the presence of Ibateguara (Bourgeois, 2010), Boca da Mata (Palmeira crenulated fringes on the arms and legs led Caramaschi and Gonçalvez, 2015), Maceió, Murici and Passo do and Rodrigues (2003) to determine that B. exastis Camaragibe (Almeida et al., 2016), and in Pernambuco belonged to the Boana boans group, and revealed that it State, in the municipalities of Jaqueira (Private Reserve was closely related to B. lundii (Burmeister, 1856) and of Natural Heritage - RPPN Frei Caneca; Santos and B. pardalis (Spix, 1824). Later, B. exastis was included Santos, 2010) and Lagoa dos Gatos (RPPN Pedra within the Boana faber group (Faivovich et al., 2005). D’anta; Roberto et al., 2017). Comparisons between their acoustic features and calling This information reveals a gap regarding the sites indicated that B. exastis is more closely related to occurrence of B. exastis on the northern coast of Bahia B. lundii than B. pardalis, due to similarity in calling State and Sergipe State (ca. 504 km), which hampers note structure and duration (Loebmann et al., 2008). the interpretations of environmental mechanisms The analysis of the occurrence records of B. exastis associated with the differentiation and regionalisation of within the Atlantic Forest has revealed a strikingly anuran species composition within the Atlantic Forest disjunct distribution, with two population groups (Fig. of northeastern Brazil (see Napoli et al., 2017). Herein 1A). The first group occurs below the São Francisco we provide a new record of B. exastis for Bahia State, River, in areas of primary forest in the south and which expands the distribution of the species ca. 347 km southeast regions of Bahia State, in the municipalities of from the type locality, 176 km from Serra da Jibóia (the São José da Vitória (type locality), Wenceslau Guimarães closest population to the South), and 346 km from Boca (Caramaschi and Rodrigues, 2003), Uruçuca (Loebmann da Mata (the closest population to the North; Fig. 1A). et al., 2008), Camacan (Dias et al., 2014a), Almadina, Seven individuals of B. exastis were collected while Floresta Azul and Ilhéus (Dias et al., 2014b), and more performing fieldwork on 31 August 2017 in RPPN recently in Serra da Jibóia and Serra do Timbó (Freitas Lontra, which is located in the municipality of Itanagra, northern coast of Bahia State (37.9859°W, 12.2462°S; elevation = 90 m). Two individuals were perched on a tree at a height of one meter above the ground, while five individuals were partially submerged in a small temporary pond that was formed after rains occurred 1 Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Ambientais e Biológicas, at the perimeter of the forest. Collected specimens Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, 44380-000, were housed in the herpetological collection of Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brazil. the Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia 2 Departamento de Ensino, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia da Bahia, 44900-000, Irecê, Bahia, (CHUFRB 0755 – 761; Fig. 1B). This represents the Brazil. northernmost record of B. exastis in Bahia State, which * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] helps filling its distribution gap on the northern coast 774 Arielson dos Santos Protázio & Airan dos Santos Protázio Figure 1. (A) Distribution map of Boana exastis. Red star: São José da Vitória (type locality); red triangle: Itanagra (RPPN Lontra) (new record); red square: Bonito (Véu da Noiva I waterfall) (new record); 1: Camacan (Serra Bonita); 2: Almadina/Floresta Azul (Serra dos Sete Paus); 3: Almadina (Serra do Corcovado); 4: Uruçuca; 5: Ilhéus (Serra da Temerosa); 6: Ilhéus (Lagoa Encantada); 7: Wenceslau Guimarães; 8: Amargosa/Ubaíra (Serra do Timbó); 9: Elísio Medrado/Santa Terezinha (Serra da Jibóia); 10: Boca da Mata; 11: Maceió; 12: Quebrangulo; 13: Murici; 14: Passo do Camaragibe; 15: Ibateguara; 16: Lagoa dos Gatos (RPPN Pedra D’anta); 17: Jaqueira (RPPN Frei Caneca). (B) Adult of Boana exastis from RPPN Lontra, municipality of Itanagra, northeast coast of Bahia State. of the state. Additionally, we provide a new record of Fragments of the Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil B. exastis for the waterfall known as Véu da Noiva I, have often been cited as refuges for species, i.e., they in the municipality of Bonito, Pernambuco State. The have sustained stable environments throughout long- individual was collected on 22 July 2011 and was housed term climate change, and provided optimal biotic and in the herpetological collection of the Universidade abiotic conditions that may enable the persistence of Federal da Paraíba, Brazil (CHUFPB 03937). many organisms (Carnaval and Moritz, 2008). Given The existence of isolated populations of B. exastis in their potential to house species, and the geographic southeastern Bahia State and in remnants of the Atlantic distribution pattern of B. exastis that has been determined Forest of Alagoas and Pernambuco States have been previously, more studies in remaining Atlantic Forest associated with relatively recent descriptions of species fragments in areas south and north of the São Francisco and the lack of inventories in northeast Brazil in the River may reveal the existence of additional populations past (Bourgeois, 2010). Thus, the increase of species of B. exastis. records from northeastern Brazil and the record of a new population in northeastern Bahia State uncover the Acknowledgements. We thank André C. Ribeiro, Hugo N. S. importance of herpetofauna inventories in the region. Braga, Lennise C. Conceição and Uilton G. Santos for their valuable However, we highlight that recent habitat loss due to contributions during field work, and Silvio de J. Cruz and Bahia Specialty Cellulose/Copener for logistical support. We also thank urban and agricultural expansion has driven landscape Francis L. S. Caldas for his comments and suggestions. Collection changes in the Atlantic Forest, which may result in of individuals was authorised by the Instituto Chico Mendes de the isolation of these populations. Studies that take Conservação da Biodiversidade (SISBIO license # 50639). into account the degree of divergence between these populations are required in order to understand this scenario. Filling the distribution gap of Boana exastis within Bahia State 775 References Freitas, M.A., Silva T.F.S., Fonseca, P.M., Hamdan, B., Filadelfo, T., Abegg, A.D. (2019): Herpetofauna of Serra do Timbó, an Almeida, J.P.F.A., Nascimento, F.A.C., Torquato, S., Lisboa, B.S., Atlantic Forest remnant in Bahia State, northeastern Brazil. Tiburcio, I.C.S., Palmeira, C.N.S., Lima, M.G., Mott, T. (2016): Herpetology Notes 12: 245–260. Amphibians of Alagoas State, northeastern Brazil. Herpetology Loebmann, D., Zina, J., Araújo, O.J.S., Toledo, L.F., Haddad, C.F.B. Notes 9: 123–140. (2008): Acoustic repertory of Hypsiboas exastis (Caramaschi Bourgeois, P.A. (2010): Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae, Hypsiboas and Rodrigues, 2003) (Amphibia, Hylidae). South American exastis (Caramaschi and Rodrigues, 2003): Distribution Journal of Herpetology 3: 96–100. extension and first record in the state of Alagoas, Brazil. Check Napoli, M.F., Silva, L.M., Abreu, R.O. (2017): Anfíbios. In: Litoral List 6: 626–627. Norte da Bahia: Caracterização Ambiental, Biodiversidade e Caramaschi, U., Rodrigues, M.T. (2003): A new large treefrog Conservação, p. 357–392. Nunes, J.M.C., Matos, M.R.B., Org., species, genus Hyla Laurenti, 1768, from southern Bahia, Brazil Salvador, Brazil, EDUFBA. (Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae). Arquivos do Museu Nacional 61: Palmeira, C.N.S., Gonçalves, U. (2015): Anurofauna de uma 255–260. localidade na Mata Atlântica setentrional, Alagoas, Brasil. Carnaval, A.C., Moritz, C. (2008): Historical climate modelling Boletim do Museu de Biologia Mello Leitão 37: 141–163. predicts patterns of current biodiversity in the Brazilian Atlantic Roberto, I.J., Oliveira, C.R., Araújo-Filho, J.A., Oliveira, H.F., forest. Journal of Biogeography 35: 1187–1201. Ávila, R.W. (2017): The herpetofauna of the Serra do Urubu Dias, I.R., Medeiros, T.T., Nova, M.F.V., Solé, M. (2014a): mountain range: a key biodiversity area for conservation in Amphibians of Serra Bonita, southern Bahia: a new hotpoint the brazilian Atlantic Forest. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 57: within Brazil’s Atlantic Forest hotspot. ZooKeys 449: 105–130. 347–373. Dias, I.R., Mira-Mendes, C.V., Solé, M. (2014b): Rapid inventory Santos, S.P.L., Santos, E.M. (2010): Geographic distribution: of herpetofauna at the APA (Environmental Protection Area) of Hypsiboas exastis. Herpetological Review 41: 375. the Lagoa Encantada and Rio Almada, Southern Bahia, Brazil. Silva, G.R., Luna-Dias, C., Carvalho-e-Silva, S.P., Carvalho-e- Herpetology Notes 7: 627–637. Silva, A.M.P.T. (2008): Distribution extension and new state Faivovich, J., Haddad, C.F.B., Garcia, P.C.A., Frost, D.R., record for Hypsiboas exastis (Caramaschi and Rodrigues, 2003) Campbell, J.A., Wheller, W.C. (2005): Systematic review of (Amphibia, Hylidae) in Brazil. Herpetotropicos 4: 58. the frog family Hylidae, with special reference to Hylinae: Phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic revision. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 294:1–240. Freitas, M.A., Abegg, A.D., Dias, I.R., Moraes, E.P.F.