Amphibians of the Northern Coast of the State of Paraná, Brazil

Herpetology Notes, volume 11: 1029-1045 (2018) (published online on 29 November 2018) Amphibians of the northern coast of the state of Paraná, Brazil Peterson T. Leivas1,*, Pedro de O. Calixto2, Lucas B. Crivellari1, Michelle M. Struett3, and Maurício O. Moura1,3 Abstract. The Atlantic Forest possesses the greatest species richness and endemism of anurans among all Brazilian biomes. However, there are gaps in current patterns of species spatial distribution because many sites along Atlantic Forest were not properly sampled. The eastern slope of the “Serra do Mar Paranaense” (Paraná Coastal Mountain Chain) falls into this category. Although it is an important area, there have been only occasional inventories (i.e., the municipalities of Guaraqueçaba and Morretes), without a general compilation of data on the anuran fauna. Thus, we compiled a regional listing of anuran species of the northern coast of the state of Paraná. In addition, we summarize information on species richness, composition and natural history, and discussed taxonomic difficulties and conservation threats. The records were compiled from museums and the literature for the municipalities of Antonina, Guaraqueçaba and Morretes and performed field sampling in Antonina. A total of 1,417 records were obtained representing 81 taxa (63 species and 18 taxonomic groups). Morretes was the municipality with the greatest richness of taxa (67), followed by Guaraqueçaba (61) and Antonina (43). The genera with the greatest taxonomic imprecision were Ischnocnema (4 groups), Ololygon and Hylodes (3 groups each). Our results indicate that the region should receive intensified efforts at basic research as systematized surveys, studies of population dynamics, revisions of groups with significant taxonomic uncertainty. Key words. Anuran, Antonina, Atlantic Forest, inventory, Guaraqueçaba, Morretes Introduction complexity and endemism of the Atlantic Forest anuran fauna is related to the climatic (current and/or past) The Atlantic Forest is considered one of the world’s and topographic (elevations) variation associated with greatest biodiversity hotspots (Myers et al., 2000; environmental heterogeneity along this biome (e.g., Ribeiro et al., 2011) because it possesses several Morin, 2011; Toledo and Batista, 2012; Haddad et al., groups with high degrees of diversification, such as 2013; Loyola et al., 2014). amphibians (Haddad et al., 2013). The Atlantic Forest Despite the group’s relevance, knowledge about contains 529 species of anurans (Haddad et al., 2013) the taxonomy, ecology and natural history of most of the 1,039 species recorded for Brazil (Segalla et al., Atlantic Forest anurans remains incipient (Haddad 2016). Therefore, half of the anuran`s species recorded et al., 2013). Although it is one of the most studied for Brazil occur in this biome, with 88% of them being biomes, climatic and landscape variation inherent to endemic (Haddad et al., 2013). The high diversity, its latitudinal extension produces extensive spatial variation in the species richness and composition of anuran communities (e.g., Bertoluci, 2001; Pombal and Haddad, 2005; Crivellari et al., 2014). Thus, many areas within the Atlantic Forest domain are still poorly 1 Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná. understood, and represent gaps in basic information CEP 81531-980 Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. such as lists of local species. In this way, these regions 2 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Departamento de are considered priority areas for medium- and long-term Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná. CEP 81531-980 systematic inventories. Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. An example of such a priority area is the eastern 3 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná. CEP 81531-980 Curitiba, slope of the Serra do Mar Paranaense (Paraná Coastal Paraná, Brazil. Mountain Chain), where knowledge about anuran * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] species richness and composition is restricted to the 1030 Peterson T. Leivas et al. Figure 1. Study sites in the municipalities of Antonina (our study, X), Guaraqueçaba and Morretes, state of Paraná, Brazil. Morretes, Armstrong and Conte (2010) (1), Guaraqueçaba, Garey and Hartmann (2012) (2), and Santos-Pereira et al. (2016) (3). municipalities of Morretes (Armstrong and Conte, the northern coast of the state of Paraná, Brazil. In this 2010) and Guaraqueçaba (Garey and Hartmann, 2012; way, we aim to summarize information about species Santos-Pereira et al., 2016). This region has one of the richness, composition, and natural history, and discuss richest anuran faunas in the state of Paraná, including taxonomic difficulties and conservation threats. a large number of endemic species and possesses great potential for the discovery of new species (e.g., Langone Material and Methods and Segalla, 1996; Pombal et al., 1998; Ribeiro et al., The study area comprises the northern coast of the state 2005; Alves et al., 2006; Garey et al., 2012). of Paraná, specifically the municipalities of Antonina, In general, the first step in a conservation plan for Guaraqueçaba and Morretes (882.3 km², 2,020 km² amphibians is gathering knowledge about species and 648.6 km², respectively; Fig. 1). The climate of richness, composition, and distribution. This the region is subtropical humid mesothermic with hot information supports the development of conservation summers (Cfa according to Köppen; Alvares et al., strategies both at local and broader scales. The absence 2013). The region is inserted within the Atlantic Forest of this information makes it difficult not only to identify biome and the vegetation can be classified as Dense endemism, but also to determine the vulnerability of Ombrophylous Lowland Forest, Dense Ombrophylous populations to different contemporary environmental Submontane Forest, restinga and mangrove (Maack, impacts (Crivellari et al., 2014). Therefore, given the 2012). The regional relief is flat with the occurrence incipient state of knowledge about the anuran fauna of hills and geological formations of continental and in much of the area of Paraná, especially of coastal coastal sediments formed by variation in sea level hillside and plane regions, our objective was to compile in the Quaternary during the Cananéia and Santos a regional listing of amphibian species that occur along transgressions (Angulo, 2004). Amphibians of the northern coast of the state of Paraná, Brazil 1031 Figure 2. Sampled environments: (A) permanent pool in open area, (B) permanent march in open area, (C) first order river in the forest interior, and (D) first order creek in the forest interior in the RPPN Guaricica in the municipality of Antonina, Paraná, Brazil. Database.—The regional species list was compiled area, each encompassing forest and reproductive sites based on field records, data from specimens deposited such as swamps, permanent pools, rivers and streams. in museums and literature records for the municipalities Specifically, we sampled: (a) four permanent pools in of Antonina, Guaraqueçaba and Morretes (Fig. 1). We the forest interior, (b) six marshes with shrub vegetation conducted a systematic inventory for Antonina, because in the interior and arboreal vegetation on the banks, and there was no species list for this site. (c) 10 streams with rocky substrates in the interior of a forest fragment (Fig. 2). Field surveys.—We performed twelve biweekly We applied visual and acoustic surveys at reproductive samplings (two nights each, 17 to 24 hours) between sites (e.g., Scott Jr and Woodward, 1994; Zimmerman, October 2016 and March 2017 with three researchers for 1994). Initially the reproductive sites were sampled a total sampling effort of 252 person hours of sampling. for 10 minutes to identify species by vocal activity. All sampling took place in Reserva Particular do Subsequently, active searches were performed along Patrimônio Natural (RPPN) - Reserva Natural Guaricica predetermined transects. During sampling, specimens (northern limit 25º24`S 48º64`W southern limit 25º41`S were located, photographed and released. When 48º74`W), which belongs to the Sociedade de Pesquisa species identification was not possible in the field using em Vida Selvagem e Educação Ambiental (SPVS). morphological characteristics, calls were recorded Four 5-km sampling transects were established in the and the individual collected to assist in identification. 1032 Peterson T. Leivas et al. The collected specimens were euthanized according Analysis data.—Due to the large number of records to Resolution N°301, of 8 December 2012, Conselho with taxonomic uncertainty (aff., cf. and gr.) we Federal de Biologia and were registered in the scientific quantified the amount of taxonomic uncertainty of each herpetological collection of the Museu de História taxon. For this, all individuals recorded with “aff., cf. Natural Capão da Imbuia (MHNCI). The study was and gr.” were quantified and their proportion in relation conducted under environmental authorization n° 23536- to all the records of their taxonomic unit determined. 1 of ICMbio. Then, we create an Index of Taxonomic Uncertainty (ITU). The ITU was calculated using the following Museum and literature records.—For the compilation formula: ITU = (nI/nTI) x 100; where nI is the number of museum data, herpetological collections were of individuals with uncertain taxonomy and nTI is the consulted through the online database speciesLink, and total number of individuals of the taxon. included

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