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Home , Leptodactylus, Leptodactylus latrans, Physalaemus, Physalaemus crombiei

Herpetology Notes, volume 14: 177-180 (2021) (published online on 26 January 2021)

Predation attempt of marmoratus (Reinhardt and Lütken, 1862) (Anura: ) by latrans (Steffen, 1815) (Anura: Leptodactylidae) at Rio Verde, Goiás State, Brazil

Cirley Gomes Araújo dos Santos1, Rhayane Alves Assis2, Rinneu Elias Borges3, Marcelino Benvindo-Souza4, and Lia Raquel de Souza Santos1,*

The Leptodactylus (78 ) is distributed (Angulo, 2008). In addition, it is an explosive breeder throughout North America, South America and West that enters in reproductive activity after the first Indies (Frost, 2020). Popularly known as Butter heavy rains of the season (Maffei et al., 2011). P. (Frost, 2020), the species marmoratus belongs to the family Leptodactylidae, (Steffen, 1815) is distributed throughout South America being Physalaemus one of the genera of this family with and the eastern Andes (Heyer et al, 2010). L. latrans, greater representativity (Lourenço et al., 2015). Other formerly known as Leptodactylus ocellatus (Heyer anurans of this family have been reported as prey for L. et al., 2010), is commonly found in areas of marshes, latrans in Brazil (Teixeira and Vrcibradic, 2003; França temporary pools and pastures (Loebmann, 2005; Corrêa et al., 2004). et al., 2013), as well as savannahs, forest edges and Most anurans have the generalist habit in their diet urban areas (Heyer et al, 2010), having a great adaptive (Sugai et al., 2012), in a way that other anurans can capacity to anthropogenic environments (Rojas-Padilla eventually be consumed (Pizzato and Shine, 2008). In et al., 2018). Its diet is composed mainly of small the literature, some records of cannibalism were found arthropods, although it also feeds on some vertebrates among anurans (França et al., 2004; Sanabria et al., 2005; such as fish and other anurans (Teixeira and Vrcibradic, Pombal Jr, 2007; Santos, 2009; Teixeira and Vrcibradic, 2003; Heitor et al., 2012). 2003; Maneyro et al., 2004; Dayton and Wapo, 2002; The species Physalaemus marmoratus (Reinhardt Hawley, 2009; Crossland et al., 2011), being more and Lütken, 1862) occurs in Brazil, Paraguay and common in the early stages of life (Pizzato and Shine, Bolivia, being found in all the states of the Brazilian 2008), but there are also reports of cannibalism in adult Midwest (Frost, 2020). This species usually reproduces (Teixeira and Vrcibradic, 2003). in superficial and temporary ponds of open We report the first predation attempt record of P. marmoratus by L. latrans in a Cerrado area, witnessed in a field expedition from 18 to 20 December 2014 in the municipality of Paraúna, in the state of Goiás, central- 1 Laboratory of Ecotoxicology and Systematics, Federal western Brazil (17°16’40.67”S, 50°29’89”W). The Institute of Goiás, Campus Rio Verde, Rodovia Sul Goiana, predation attempt occurred in an area with extensive Km 01, Zona Rural, Rio Verde, GO CEP 75.901-970, Brazil. vegetation in temporary swamp. At the moment of 2 Department of Biology, Paulista State University - Júlio de registration, the prey was in the ventral position (Fig. Mesquita Filho, UNESP, campus São José do Rio Preto, R. 1A, B), which may be characterised by defensive Cristóvão Colombo, 2265, Jardim Nazareth, São José do Rio confrontation before being captured (Rojas-Padilla et al., Preto, SP CEP 15.054-000, Brazil. 3 Department of Biology, University of Rio Verde, Fazenda 2018), or also a defensive behaviour called thanatosis, Fontes do Saber, Rio Verde, GO CEP 75.901-970, Brazil. which some use as a defence mechanism 4 Laboratory of Mutagenesis, Biological Sciences Institute, ICB (Solé et al., 2009). Thanatosis is a behaviour that the I - Federal University of Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia animal adopts leaving its posture immobile, appearing to - GO. CEP: 74690-900, Brazil. be dead (Toledo et al., 2010), this behaviour has already * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] been observed in other anurans of the same genus © 2021 by Herpetology Notes. Open Access by CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. (Toledo et al., 2010). Figure 1C shows the captured P. 178 Cirley Gomes Araújo dos Santos ������

Figure 1. Predation attempt of P. marmoratus by L. latrans in Paraúna, Goiás, Brazil; A-B: Moment of predation attempt; C: Specimen of P. marmoratus that was being preyed.

marmoratus specimen for identification. The specimens The predatory activity of L. latrans on other anurans were collected as testimonial material and deposited has already been discussed in the literature (Heitor et in the herpetological collection of the Animal Biology al., 2012). Among the studies, Teixeira and Vrcibradic Laboratory of the Federal Institute of Goias. (2003) reported an act of cannibalism, observing in Predation attempt of Physalaemus marmoratus by Leptodactylus latrans, Brazil 179 their diet the presence of a juvenile of the same species. de Sá, R.O., Grant, T., Camargo, A., Heyer, W.R., Ponssa, M.L., Besides that, in the same study other amphibians were Stanley, E. (2014): Systematics of the Neotropical genus found in the stomach contents of L. latrans, being they, Leptodactylus Fitzinger, 1826 (Anura: Leptodactylidae): Phylogeny, the relevance of non-molecular evidence, and one Hyla albomarginata, one species accounts. South American Journal of Herpetology 9: and three unidentified tadpoles. Heitor et al. (2012), S1–S128. describe the predation of Leptodactylus cf. latrans on França, L.F., Facure, K.G., Giaretta, A.A. (2004): Trophic and Hypsiboas pardalis in a pasture area near a pond, which spatial niches of two large-sized species of Leptodactylus resembles the report by Sá et al. (2014) describing L. (Anura) in southeastern Brazil. Studies on Neotropical Fauna latrans as a predator with a foraging type of sit and and Environment 39: 243–248. wait type found around ponds. França et al. (2004) also Frost, D.R. (2020): Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. Available at: https:// identified in the stomach of L. latrans another three amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org/. Accessed on 06 de august specimens of anurans, being , 2020. Bufo granulosus and an unidentified hylid. Solé et al. Hawley, T.J. (2009): The Ecological Significance and Incidence (2009) reported the predation of tadpoles and Silva et of Intraguild Predation and Cannibalism among Anurans in al. (2009) a female ingesting a juvenile of Lithobates Ephemeral Tropical Pools. Copeia 2009: 748–757 catesbeianus. Heitor, R.C., Lacerda, J.V.A., Silva, E.T., Peixoto, M.A., Eloi, R.G. Although L. latrans is a potential amphibian predator, (2012): Predation of Hypsiboas pardalis (Anura, Hylidae) by the most studies have shown that terrestrial invertebrates butter frog Leptodactylus cf. latrans (Anura, Leptodactylidae), in municipality of Espera Feliz, State of Minas Gerais, southeastern dominate their diet, which is already proven observed Brazil. Herpetology Notes 5: 23–25. for most anurans, including aquatic and semi-aquatic Heyer, R., Langone, J., La Marca, E., Azevedo-Ramos, C., diTada, species (Solé et al., 2009). This can be an example I., Baldo, D., et al. (2010): Leptodactylus latrans. The IUCN of convenience predation, which is common among Red List of Threatened Species 2010. Avalaibre at: http://dx.doi. anurans, since in this type of predation the predator is org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-2.RLTS.T57151A11592655.en. not specialised at the prey, but feeds on it with some Accessed on 08 April 2019. frequency, mainly because they have common habits, Lourenço, L.B., Targueta, C.P., Baldo, D., Nascimento, J., Garcia, P.C., Andrade, G.V., Haddad, C.F.B., Recco-Pimentel, favouring the predation event. (Toledo et al., 2007). S.M. (2015): Phylogeny of frogs from the genus Physalaemus Although other amphibians have little representativeness (Anura, Leptodactylidae) inferred from mitochondrial and in the diet of L. latrans compared to invertebrates nuclear gene sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution (França et al., 2004), this report provides evidence that 92: 204–216. the species P. marmoratus can also be part of this diet. Loebmann, D. (2005): Guia ilustrado – Os anfíbios da região costeira do extremo sul do Brasil. Pelotas, USEB. 80 pp. Acknowledgments. We thank IFGoiano for the financial support Maffei, F., Ubaid, F.K., Jim, J. (2011): Anfíbios: Fazenda Rio and availability of infrastructure, as well as Coordination for Claro, Lençóis Paulista, SP, Brasil. Canal6, Bauru. the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), for Maneyro, R., Naya, D.E., Rosa, I., Canavero, A., Camargo, A. supporting the researchers CGAS, RAA, and MBS, as well as (2004): Diet of the South American frog Leptodactylus ocellatus the Brazilian Fund (Funbio) for supporting for (Anura, Leptodactylidae) in Uruguay. Iheringia, Série Zoologia researcher MBS. 94: 57–61. Pizzatto, L., Shine, R. (2008): The behavioural ecology of cannibalism in cane toads (Bufomarinus). Behavioral Ecology References and Sociobiology 63: 123–133. Angulo, A. (2008): Physalaemus marmoratus. Avalaibre at: https:// Pombal Jr., J.P. (2007): Notas sobre predação em uma taxocenose www.iucnredlist.org/species/57257/11610370. Accessed on 11 de anfíbios anuros no sudeste do Brasil. Revista Brasileira de de November 2014. Zoologia 24: 841–843. Corrêa, L.L.C., Silva, D.E., Pazinato, D.M.M., Oliveira, S.V. Rojas-Padilha, O., Menezes, V.Q., Rios, C.H.V., Pendu, Y.L., Mira- (2013): Registro de predação em Leptodactylus latrans (Anura, Mendes, C.V. (2018): Predation attempt on Rhinella crucifer Leptodactylidae), por Guira-guira (Aves, Cuculidae), no sul do (Wied-Neuwied, 1821) (Anura, Bufonidae) by Leptodactyluscf. Brasil. Revista de Ciências Ambientais 7: 57–60. latrans (Steffen, 1815) (Anura, Leptodactylidae) in southern Crossland, M.R., Hearnden, M.N., Pizzatto, L., Alford, R.A, Bahia, Brazil. Herpetology Notes 11: 831–834. Shine, R. (2011): Why be a cannibal? The benefits of cane Sanabria, E.A., Quiroga, L.B., Acosta, J.C. (2005): Dieta toad, Rhinella marina [=Bufomarinus] tadpoles of consuming de Leptodactylus ocellatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Anura: conspecific eggs. Animal Behaviour 82: 775–782. Leptodactylidae) enunhumedaldel oeste de Argentina. Revista Dayton, G. H., Wapo, S. D. (2002): Cannibalistic behavior in Peruana de Biología 12: 472–477. Scaphiopus couchii: More Evidence for larval Anuran oophagy. Santos, E.M. (2009): Notas sobre predação de anuros em uma poça Journal of Herpetology 36: 531–532. temporária no nordeste do Brasil. Boletim do Museu de Biologia 180 Cirley Gomes Araújo dos Santos ������

Mello Leitão 25: 77–82. Silva, E.T., Ribeiro-Filho, O.P. (2009): Predation on juveniles of the invasive American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus (Anura: Ranidae) by native frog and snake species in south- eastern Brazil. Herpetology Notes 2: 215–218. Solé, M., Dias, I.R., Rodrigues, E.A.S., Marciano-Jr.E., Branco, S.M.J., Cavalcante, K.P., Rödder, D. (2009): Diet of Leptodactylus ocellatus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) from a cacao plantation in southern Bahia, Brazil. Herpetology Notes 2: 9–15. Sugai, J.L.M.M., Terra, J.S., Ferreira, V.L. (2012): Diet of (Amphibia: Anura: Leptodactylidae) in the Pantanal of Miranda river, Brasil. Biota Neotropica 12: 99–104. Teixeira, R.L., Vrcibradic, D. (2003): Diet of Leptodactylus ocellatus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) from coastal lagoons of southeastern Brazil. Cuademos de Herpetologia 17: 113–120. Toledo, L.F., Ribeiro, R.S., Haddad, C.F. (2007): Anurans as prey: An exploratory analysis and size relationships between predators and their prey. Journal of Zoology 271: 170–177. Toledo, L.F., Sazima, I., Haddad, C.F. (2010): Is it all death feigning? Case in anurans. Journal of Natural History 44: 1979–1988.

Accepted by Clarissa Canedo