Herpetology Notes, volume 13: 313-316 (2020) (published online on 14 April 2020)

Leech parasitism on the Mindanao foot-flagging Staurois natator (Günther, 1858) on Mindanao Island, Philippines

Erl Pfian T. Maglangit1,*, Russell Evan L. Venturina2, Niño Andree Louis E. Caguimbal2, Dennis A. Warguez1,2, Mae Lowe L. Diesmos2, and Arvin C. Diesmos3

Amphibians are currently the most threatened (iv) no vomerine teeth, (v) distinct tympanum, and (vi) vertebrate group (Rowley et al., 2009; Alroy, 2015) skin on dorsum is covered with densely-packed small with almost a third of the 6711 assessed are tubercles (Inger, 1954). Males are slightly smaller than experiencing declines (IUCN, 2019). females. They are uniformly olive to bronze green in declines are primarily due to habitat loss (Wind, 1999; colour, with black and white spots (Inger, 1954; Alcala Cushman, 2006), chemical pollution, climate change, and Brown, 1998; Arifin et al., 2011). This species occurs and fungal disease (Duellman, 1999; Stuart et al., 2004). in primary and secondary lowland and montane forest Little information is known about the influence of leech from roughly sea level to elevations of approximately parasitism on amphibian populations. Leech parasitism 1,000 m. They are most commonly observed in fast- on tadpoles and post metamorphic may cause flowing mountain streams and rivers and are usually weakness, sickness, or death (Berven and Boltz, 2001; perched on top of rocks and boulders but can also be Merila and Sterner, 2002). Leech-amphibian interactions found perched on leaves of herbaceous plants, saplings have already been documented in North America (Bolek and ferns. Staurois natator is endemic to the Philippines and Janovy, 2005; Stead and Pope, 2010; McCallum et and is known from the islands of Basilan, Biliran, al., 2011), Europe (Ayres and Comesańa, 2010), Africa Bohol, Dinagat, Leyte, Mindanao and Samar (Diesmos (Rocha, 2012), Australia (Burgin and Schell, 2005; et al., 2015). This group of has a characteristic Turner, 2013) and Asia (Ngamprasertwong, 2007; behaviour of waving their hind legs and feet to expose Lai, 2011; Seo et al., 2013; Bae, 2018). However, no the bright-coloured webbing, in noisy microhabitats, published information is available on leech parasitism in order to communicate with nearby frogs (Grafe and on frogs in the Philippines. Wanger, 2007; Preininger et al., 2009). The Philippines has a total of 114 amphibian species, Leeches are segmented parasitic or predatory worms 94 (82.5%) of which are endemic (Diesmos, 2015; inhabiting freshwater and terrestrial environments (Won Frost, 2020). The Mindanao foot-flagging frog (Staurois et al., 2014). Jawed land leeches (Haemadipsidae) are natator) is a medium-sized frog with (i) elongated body, terrestrial hematophagous species. This group exhibits (ii) projecting upper jaw, (iii) completely-webbed toes, high especially in tropical forests of southeast Asia (Ngamprasertwong et al., 2007; Seo et al., 2013; Won et al., 2014). They are distinct from other groups of leeches in having (i) anterior and posterior suckers, (ii) elongated body, (iii) slender and cylindrical, 1 Department of Biological Science, College of Science and (iv) dorsum depressed from end of the body to the head, Mathematics, Mindanao State University, Iligan Institute of and (v) the presence of jaws (Lai et al., 2011; Won et al., Technology, A. Bonifacio Avenue Iligan City, 9200, Lanao 2014). We were unable to identify the species but the del Norte. morphology of the leech was as follows: (1) distinct light 2 College of Science and Graduate School, TARC Building, brown at ventrolateral area, (2) dark brown banded with University of Santo Tomas, España Boulevard, 1015 Manila, white colouration in dorsolateral portion, (3) black stripe Philippines. pattern bordered within supra-marginal portion and (4) 3 Herpetology Section, Zoology Division, Philippine National Museum, Rizal Park, Burgos St., Ermita 1000, Manila, body surrounded with few irregular asymmetrical loops Philippines. that extend laterally between stripes in mid-dorsal area * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] of the species. Its size ranges from 1.0-2.5 mm length 314 Erl Pfian T. Maglangit et al.

Figure 1. Mindanao foot-flagging frogs are abundant in the sampling site on MHRWS were male (A), female (B), and juvenile (C) Staurois natator infested with leeches perched on top of ferns saplings less than 1 m above a dry bed of a mountain stream (D) in mature secondary lowland forest.

and 0.5-1.0 mm width, and are mostly encountered m a.s.l. within a disturbed secondary lower montane in nearby streams, moist tree trunks, leaf axils and, forest. Stream width ranged from four to eight meters mostly abundant during rainy season (Darabi-Darestani and the dominant mesohabitat was riffle. The stream and Malek, 2011). They are usually found attached on was characterised by big boulders and rugged terrain. leaves of understory plants, the blades of grasses, and Two to three leeches were observed occupying the on branches and trunks of trees waiting for prey. They medial and dorsolateral portion of the frogs. stretch out their heads and orient towards the location of Voucher specimens of parasitised frogs (SVL range the prey (Seo et al., 2013). = 33.3 - 34.1) were collected and preserved (humanely During herpetofaunal surveys in the Mt. Hamiguitan euthanized with aqueous chloratone, fixed in 10% Range Wildlife Sanctuary (MHRWS), Barangay La buffered formalin and subsequently transferred to 70% Union, Sitio Tumalite, Municipality of San Isidro, ethanol) following the standard preservation protocol Davao Oriental Province, Mindanao Island (06°44.213’ (Heyer et al., 1994; Simmons, 2002), and deposited N, 126°08.506’ E) on 11-17 July 2018 and 17-24 April in the Philippine National Museum of Natural History 2019, we observed a total of 31 S. natator, 12 individuals (accession numbers: PNM 11540-11543). of these were infested with leeches (approximately Field biologists in the Philippines have previously 38.7% of the population were parasitised) (Fig. 1A–C). observed leech parasitism on a few frog species All infested frogs were observed on shrubs and ferns in (A. Diesmos pers. com.), such as fanged frogs Pamugtoan River (06°43.969’ N, 126°09.155’ E), 650 (Limnnonectes), striped stream frogs (Pulchrana), and Leech parasitism on the Mindanao foot-flagging frog, Philippines 315 microhylids (Kaloula, Kalophrynus). This is the first Academy of Sciences. 62(20): 457–539. formal account of leech parasitism on a Philippine frogs Duellman, W.E. (1999): Patterns of Distribution of Amphibians: and baseline information for further studies. A Global Perspective. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore and London. 633 pp. Systematic Biology 51(6): 980–981. Acknowledgments. We thank the Philippine Department of Frost, D.R. (2020): Amphibian Species of the World: an online Environment and Natural Resources through the Protected Areas reference. Version 6.1 Electronic Database. Available at: https:// Management Board of MHRWS (Wildlife Gratuitous Permit amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org/index.php. American Museum #2019-282) for providing research collection permits. Funding of Natural History, New York, USA. Accessed on 4 April 2020. support was provided by the Foreign Assisted and Special Projects Grafe, U., Wanger, T. (2007): Multimodal signaling in male and Services of DENR (Alien Species Crisis: Assessing the Ecological female foot-flagging frogs Staurois guttatus (Ranidae): an Impacts of Invasive Alien Species of Amphibians and Reptiles in alerting function of calling. Ethology 113: 772–781. the Philippines Project; ID 2018-01-0299) and the Department Heyer, W.R., Donnelly M.A., McDiarmid R.W., Hayek, L.A.C., of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST- Foster, M.S. (1994): Measuring and monitoring biological SEI) through Accelerated Science and Technology Human diversity; standard methods for amphibians (XVII). Washington, Resource Development Program. We are grateful to Amy Ponce, D. C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. 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Accepted by Benjamin Tapley