Vocalisations and Reproductive Pattern of Boana Pombali (Caramaschi Et Al., 2004): a Treefrog Endemic to the Atlantic Forest

Herpetology Notes, volume 12: 1121-1131 (2019) (published online on 03 November 2019) Vocalisations and reproductive pattern of Boana pombali (Caramaschi et al., 2004): a treefrog endemic to the Atlantic Forest Marina dos S. Faraulo1,*, Caroline Garcia1 and Juliana Zina1 Abstract. Boana pombali is an endemic species of the Atlantic Forest whose biology and ecology are still little known. In the present study we aimed to describe the reproductive patterns adopted by the species and characterise the behaviours associated with reproduction, including the description of its advertisement and territorial calls. From April 2016 to March 2017 we conducted 96 nocturnal field trips in which we collected data on habitat use, abundance and behaviours in two water bodies located in the interior of the Parque Estadual Serra do Conduru, municipality of Uruçuca, State of Bahia, northeast Brazil. Males of B. pombali were observed in calling activity during the whole studied period, using the vegetation of the water bodies and surroundings as vocalisation sites. We recorded a higher number of males in the chorus during the months of higher rainfall and, consequently, formation of temporary water bodies. We registered only one female on April, when, although the water bodies were dry, there were males calling from large epiphytic bromeliads. The temporal distribution pattern as well as the behaviours presented by the species corroborate with the known for prolonged breeding species. The data presented here enhances the knowledge about the autoecology of B. pombali and on the group of B. semilineata. Keywords. Advertisement Call, Amphibia, Autoecology, Behaviour, Natural History, Reproduction Introduction 2011; Nali and Prado, 2012). Moreover, these data can be used for the development of strategies, actions Studies about the basic biological aspects of anurans and interventions necessary for the protection of the raise fundamental information for the behavioural and species. ecological characterisation of taxonomic units (species, Even in the face of all the above-mentioned genus or groups of species) (see Ryan and Rand, 1993; importance, descriptive researches have been neglected Narvaes et al., 2009, Köhler et al., 2017). Data of this by the academy and by the scientific data publishing nature can be taken isolated or immersed in a set of spaces, which privilege studies that evidence more data to trace phylogenies (see Ryan and Rand, 1993; de global biological and ecological patterns (see Guerra Queiroz and Wimberger, 1993; Duellman et al., 2011; et al., 2018). However, these same studies highlight the de Sá R.O. et al., 2014). In addition to contributing to importance of natural history data to obtain a reliable and the descriptive content, studies conducted under this legitimate data matrix to make projections and evidence perspective elucidate questions related to the structure patterns closer to the real (see Haddad et al., 2008; of the populations (occurrence, abundance and use of Campos et al., 2017; Guerra et al., 2018; Lourenço- the environment) and communities (richness, diversity, de-Moraes et al., 2019). In Anura, many of these data composition, spatial and temporal structure), as well come from studies on their reproductive biology, since as mechanisms behind the intra and interspecific reproduction seems to be an important factor that relationships (e.g. Wells, 1977a, b; Montanarin et al., organises the populations and communities of the group (e.g. Becker et al., 2007; Loyola et al., 2008). Despite the knowledge about the reproductive aspects of anurans has increased in the last decades (e.g. Nali and Prado, 2012; de Sá F.P et al., 2016; Guerra et al., 1 Departamento de Ciências Biológicas (DCB), Universidade 2018), it is still insipient considering the volume of Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia (UESB), Campus Jequié, Av. José Moreira Sobrinho, s/n, Jequiezinho, CEP 45208-091, data about the natural history of the species and the Jequié, Bahia, Brasil. amount of species not yet studied. Some points can * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] be raised to explain this lack of knowledge about the 1122 Marina dos S. Faraulo et al. natural history of anurans, such as: recent description Data collection.—We performed 10 field trips of taxonomic unities not yet studied (e.g. Taucce et (duration between six to 16 consecutive days) between al., 2015), idiosyncrasies related to behavioural and April 2016 and March 2017, totalling 96 nocturnal ecological patterns (e.g. explosive reproductive pattern sampling days. Two water bodies were surveyed: a (Nomura, 2003)), use of microhabitats not accessible pond (14º29’42.94”S 39º08’07.76”O) surrounded by to researchers (e.g. use of high epiphytic bromeliads trees and an herbaceous vegetation located in an open (Juncá et al., 2012a; Campos et al., 2014)), and/or a very area (13 m of maximum diameter and 1.2 m maximum restrict geographical distribution and occurrence (e.g. depth), and a swamp (14º29’37.66”S 39º08’07.36”O) Napoli et al., 2011; Taucce et al., 2015). To date, even surrounded by trees with aerial roots and an herbaceous widely studied species have inedited biological aspects vegetation located in a shaded lowland area (6.5 m of recently described (e.g. Boana albopunctata (Spix, maximum diameter and 0.8 m maximum depth). Both 1824) (Furtado et al., 2016) and B. crepitans (Wied- environments were about 50 m apart from each other. Neuwied, 1824) (Nascimento et al., 2015)). The data collection started around 17:30 h and finished Boana pombali is a medium-sized hylid (snout-vent when the activity of the males decreased (between 00:00 length (SVL) 49.0-55.6 mm in males, 53.9-60.7 mm h and 01:00 h during the period of highest rainfall and in females, Caramaschi et al., 2004) that belong to B. around 21:30 h during the dry months). We extended semilineata group (Faivovich et al., 2005; Peloso et al., our observations until dawn in 10 field days to confirm 2018). The species presents a restricted distribution to the daily vocal activity pattern. In total, we performed areas of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, in a geographic approximately 530 h of observations. We used the range that goes from the states of Minas Gerais to methodology of visual and acoustic search (Heyer et al., Sergipe, Brazil (Frost, 2019). Although it has been 1994). described 15 years ago, few information on the natural For each water body we obtained the following history is available for this species (see Caramaschi et al., information: microhabitat characteristics of the calling 2004; Juncá et al., 2012b; Brunetti et al., 2015a). Thus, sites (perch type and height relative to the ground), the aim of this study was to describe the autoecology, number of individuals in vocal activity, distance between vocalisation and some reproductive aspects of B. the males in vocal activity and displacement of these pombali. individuals throughout the night. In order to measure the displacement of the individuals we first monitored the Material and Methods reproductive sites marking and recording all the males in calling activity, then we walked thought the same sites Study area.—The Parque Estadual Serra do Conduru verifying the perches. In case of recapture, we verify the (PESC) (14º29’42.5”S; 39º08’1.6”W) is located in the distance between the initial and final perches. district of Serra Grande, municipality of Uruçuca, south For behavioural observations we used the focal state of Bahia, Brazil. The PESC covers an area of 9,275 animal method (Lehner, 1996). When we finished hectares of Atlantic Rainforest in good conservation each observation, we weighed the observed individuals state (Bahia/Semarh, 2005). with dynamometer (Pesola ®) with a 0.1 g precision, The climate of the region is type Af (Köppen, 1936), measured the SVL with a calliper of 0.1 mm precision characterised as hot and humid, with no defined dry and marked them using toe clipping method modified season and a high annual precipitation well distributed from Martof (1953). Then, we returned the individuals throughout the year (annual average of 2471 mm; Inema, to where they were captured. Whenever possible, 1996). The average month temperature is between 20 we marked all the individuals in the first day of each and 26ºC, with annual average around 24ºC (Inema, field trip to avoid a possible negative influence on the 1996; Bahia/Semarh, 2005). In the period of the data animals´ behaviour. collection occurred an atypical drought, due to El Niño We collected one gravid female and seven males during the years 2015 and 2016. Therefore, some usually during the period of study. These individuals were permanent- water bodies dried up, presenting temporary euthanised with lidocaine at 5%, fixed in formalin characteristic. Thus, exceptionally, during the period of 10%, kept in alcohol 70% and housed in the zoological this study, rainfall was concentrated during the months collection of the Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste of July 2016 to March 2017, with higher indexes in July, da Bahia (UESB) - Campus Jequié (MHNJCH – 1083; October and March, totalling 1,299.1 mm of rainfall MHNJCH – 1084; MHNJCH – 1085; MHNJCH – 1087; (CPTEC/INPE, 2017). MHNJCH – 1088; MHNJCH – 1089; MHNJCH – 1094; Vocalisations and reproductive pattern of Boana pombali in the Atlantic Forest 1123 MHNJCH – 1102). From the gravid female we obtained emission of note within the note groups we performed a the mass of the oocytes and from the males the testicular linear regression (considering the number of notes within mass. We weighed all the materials in analytical balance the note groups the dependent variable and the number of 0.0001 g precision. The percentage of the ovarian and of males in chorus the independent variable).To verify mature testicular mass in relation to the corporal mass if the interval between the notes groups diminished with was used as a measure of reproductive investment (RI).

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