SEXUAL DIMORPHISM in Bufo Eichwaldi's SNOUT SHAPE with DESCRIPTION of ITS USAGE in MALE-MALE COMPETITION Omid Mozaffari1 and E

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SEXUAL DIMORPHISM IN Bufo eichwaldi'S SNOUT SHAPE WITH DESCRIPTION OF ITS USAGE IN MALE-MALE COMPETITION

Article in Russian Journal of Herpetology · May 2012

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SEXUAL DIMORPHISM IN Bufo eichwaldi‘S SNOUT SHAPE WITH DESCRIPTION OF ITS USAGE IN MALE-MALE COMPETITION

Omid Mozaffari1 and Esmaeil Saeidi Moghari2

Submitted May 15, 2012

Bufo eichwaldi is a relatively large toad distributed in the Hyrcanian (Caspian) Forests from southeastern Azerbaijan to northwestern Iran. During fieldwork in northern Iran, we found two breeding sites for this species. Our observations show sexual dimorphism in the snout shape of this species that functions in male-male competition.

Keywords: Talysh Mountains; Bufonidae; hyrcanian forest; Iran.

Borkin, Skorinov, Rosanov, 2008 was described as a new The common or gray toads are widely distributed species from Bufo bufo group based on genome size, allo- over the whole of the Palearctic Realm from northwest- zyme and morphological evidences. This is a relatively ern Africa to Japan. On the basis of gross morphology, large toad with uniform brown or grayish brown dorsum these toads were united as the Bufo bufo species group with irregular black spots and markings; ventrum is dirty (Inger, 1972), that was elevated to the full genus level white with irregular dark spots and markings. Its distri- (Frost et al., 2006). In 2008, Bufo eichwaldi Litvinchuk, bution is limited by the Hyrcanian (Caspian) Forest in 1 Aria Herpetological Institute. No. 1, Parastoo 4 St., Shahrak-e- southeastern Azerbaijan and northern Iran (up to 1200 m Homa, Ashraf esfehani Highway, Tehran, Iran; a.s.l.). e-mail: [email protected] Eichwald’s toads were collected during their repro- 2 Aria Herpetological Institute. No. 1, Parastoo 4 St., Shahrak-e- Homa, Ashraf esfehani Highway, Tehran, Iran; ductive period (the second half of February) from two lo- e-mail: [email protected] calities. The first site (S1, three pairs measured) is lo- cated near Soostan pool (37°11¢ N 50°01¢ E) near Lahijan City, Gilan Province, Iran. The second population (S2,

Fig. 2. The scheme of measurements for upper jaw length (UL) and Fig. 1. Location of collection sites (S1 and S2). lower jaw length (LL).

Male Female these animals become diurnal and their reproductive ac- tivities occur during day time. In this period only adult individuals gather together at breeding sites, and there- 1.12 1.1 1.08 1.06 ULR fore the effect of measuring of subadults is removed. Fig. 3. ULR differences in males and females. Using a digital caliper, the ratio (ULR) of upper jaw length (UL) to lower jaw length (LL) was used to quan- tify the snout shape (Fig. 2). For statistical analysis three pairs measured) was studied near Shast Kola forest (Statistica 6.0), the nonparametric Kolmogorov – Smir- (36°46¢ N 54°22¢ E) near Gorgan City, Golestan Prov- nov test was applied. After measurements animals were ince, Iran (Fig. 1). In February, after winter hibernation released in their habitats.

Fig. 4. A male trying to remove another male from female’s back.

Fig. 5. Male (a) and female (b ) snout shapes. Sexual Dimorphism in Bufo eichwaldi‘s Snout Shape 351

According to our dataset (Fig. 3), the ULR mean in males becomes much stronger. Each male tries to dis- males was 1.11 ± 0.01 (range 1.0993 – 1.1298) and in fe- lodge other males from the backs of females and take males was 1.052 ± 0.005 (range 1.0459 – 1.0588). This over the position (Fig. 4). This can be easier when males difference was statistically significant ( p < 0.005). have sharp snouts (Fig. 5). Litvinchuk et al. (2008) stated that B. eichwaldi seem to be infrequent in nature and they are quite rarely repre- Acknowledgments. We wish to thank Aria Herpetological sented in museum collections. Perhaps, the reason for Institute for facilitating this research. Also we wish to thank Dr. rarity of this species in museum collections is their be- Steven C. Anderson for checking grammatical points of the manuscript and Mr. Alireza Shahrdari and Mr. Ali Yazarloo for havior. We found huge populations across their studied introducing us to B. eichwaldi breeding sites. habitats. Like many other toads they are nocturnal and except during the breeding season, they are never seen during the day. The forest ground is covered by a deep REFERENCES layer of dead leaves in their habitat, and that makes this animal almost impossible to find during the day. Also the Frost D. R., Grant T., Faivovitch J. N., Bain R. H., Haas A., effective camouflage coloration decreases the chance of Haddad C. L. F. B., De Sa R. O., Channing A., Wilkin- finding them. son M., Donnellan S. C., Raxworthy C. J., Cambell J. A., During breeding season all adults gather together Blotto B. L., Moler P., Drewes R. C., Nussbaum R. A., near stagnate or slow moving fresh water bodies. Such Lynch J. D., Green D. M., and Wheeler W. C. (2006), Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. waters are uncommon in the Hyrcanian Forests. Most “The amphibian tree of life,” , 297, 1 – 370. freshwaters are in rivers and streams that are not suitable Bufo for egg laying. For this reason, the small freshwater Inger R. F. (1972), “ of Eurasia,” in: W. F. Blair (ed.), Evolution of the Genus Bufo, Univ. of Texas Press, Austin, pounds and pools are occupied by hundreds or sometimes pp. 102 – 118. thousands of toads during both day and night. Females Litvinchuk S. N., Borkin L. J., Skorinov D. V., and Rosa- are much larger than males. They arrive at the breeding nov J. M. (2008), “A new species of common toads from sites later than males. After egg laying, the females leave the Talysh Mountains, south-eastern Caucasus: genome the water body, but males still remain. By increasing the size, allozyme, and morphological evidences,” Russ. J. number of males per female, the competition between Herpetol., 15(1), 19 – 43.

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