Herpetology Notes, volume 11: 31-33 (2018) (published online on 10 January 2018)

Preliminary study of reproduction in the Talysh toad (Bufo eichwaldi) in northern Iran

Haji Gholi Kami1,* and Nasim Bashirichelkasari1

The common or grey toads are distributed across the entire Palearctic realm from northwestern Africa to Japan. On the basis of gross morphology, these toads were united as the Bufo bufo species group) Inger, 1972), which subsequently became the genus Bufo in the revision by Frost et al. (2006). Subsequently, Bufo eichwaldi was described by Litvinchuk et al. (2008) based on genome size, allozyme variation, and morphological evidence. This species is a relatively large toad (SVL in females up to 170 mm, in males up to 120 mm; Litvinchuk et al., 2008) with a uniformly brown or grayish-brown dorsum with irregular black spots and markings; the venter is dirty white with irregular dark spots and markings (Fig. 1). Its distribution is limited by the Hyrcanian (Caspian) Figure 1. A female Bufo eichwaldi (snout–vent length approximately 90 mm) from Kordkuy, Golestan Province, Forest in southeastern Azerbaijan and northern Iran (up northern Iran. Photo by H.G. Kami. to elevations around 1200 m; Mozaffari and Moghari, 2012). Litvinchuk et al. (2008) stated in their original description that B. eichwaldi seem to be uncommonly encountered in nature, and they are quite rare in museum collections. As a consequence little is known about reproduction in this species. For this study, we collected 14 specimens (six males, eight females) of B. eichwaldi in Mazandaran and Golestan Provinces, Iran (Fig. 2). We observed that in our research area adult toads leave their hibernation sites in the forest and move to pools in late January. Their accumulation at mating ponds is dramatic, and the toad population size will increase until early February, when in some areas the number of toads becomes so large that they are encountered all over the local roads. Adult reproductive structures and amplexus.—During the reproductive period males have black pineal bodies

Figure 2. Map of sampling localities for Bufo eichwaldi in 1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Golestan northern Iran. Two localities were in Mazandaran Province University, Gorgan, Iran (left) and five in Golestan Province (right). In the inset, the * Corresponding author e-mail: [email protected] Caspian Sea is the grey body of water at the top of the map. 32 Haji Gholi Kami & Nasim Bashirichelkasari

Figure 3. Callosoid bodies on three fingers of the forelimbs in male Bufo eichwaldi, here shown in an individual from Golestan Province, Iran. Photo by H.G. Kami.

Figure 4. Axillary amplexus in Bufo eichwaldi. Photo by H.G. Kami. (callosoid bodies) on three fingers of the forelimbs (Fig. 3) and a visible vocal sac under the throat. Males, which are always smaller than females, jump onto the back of females and firmly clasp the base of the female forelimbs Tadpoles.—Tadpoles begin to emerge from eggs with their own (Fig. 4) in a typical axillary amplexus. approximately 2 d after fertilization. They grow During these attempts, vocalizations reminiscent of rapidly, and tadpole length can reach 32 mm over the screams may be heard from some individuals, perhaps 2-mo tadpole stage. ����������������������������������� to indicate a release call. tiny external gills for a brief period of time 1 d. These Spawning and eggs.—Spawning usually happens in morph���������������������������������������������� into � early April–June. Females may lay between 1200–6840 cloacal opening is centred at the base of the tail and the eggs (as determined from museum records; unpubl. labial tooth row formula (according to Altig, 1970) is data). Eggs are released in the form of two long and 2(2)/3. Both the upper lip and lower lip possess dentate sticky strings, one from each ovary (Fig. 5). These egg edges. The tail tip is rounded in lateral view. The width strings are 3–5 m in length and may rarely reach up to of the mouth is equal to the distance between the eyes 10 m. Females attach them to aquatic plants. and about twice the distance between the nostrils.

Figure 5. Egg strings released by female Bufo eichwaldi. (Left) A string of eggs is released by an amplectant pair. (Right) Egg coloration, size, and the parallel nature of the strings compared to a human hand. Photos by H.G. Kami. Preliminary study of reproduction in the Talysh toad in northern Iran 33

Figure 6. Growth series of tadpoles and the beginning stages Figure 9. Natural habitat showing the diurnal activities of of metamorphosis in Bufo eichwaldi. The tadpole at left is six dozens of amplectant pairs of Bufo eichwaldi, Golestan days post-hatching, and the one on the right 70 days. Photo Province, Iran. Photo by H.G. Kami. by H.G. Kami.

the water in June or early July. Sexual maturity in B. eichwaldi occurs in the fourth year after emergence, and hibernation is underground in the soil. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the reproduction of this species in Iran. We hope that this study provides useful some information for fieldwork and an incentive for future studies of this species.

Acknowledgments. We wish to thank Mr. Reza Figure 7. Tadpole with forelimbs, Day 84 of development in Yadollahvandmiandoab from Universidade Federal da Paraíba Bufo eichwaldi. Photo by H.G. Kami. and Mis. Najmeh Okhli from Golestan University for scientific and technical support.

References

Altig, R. (1970): A key to the tadpoles of the continental United States and Canada. Herpetologica 26: 180–207. Frost, D.R., Grant, T., Faivovitch, J.N., Bain, R.H., Haas, A., Haddad, C.L.F.B., de Sa, R.O., Channing, A., Wilkinson, M., Donnellan, S.C., Raxworthy, C.J., Campbell, J.A., Blotto, B.L., Moler, P., Drewes, R.C., Nussbaum, R.A., Lynch, J.D., Green, D.M., Wheeler, W.C. (2006): The amphibian tree of life. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 297: 1–370. Inger, R.F. (1972): Bufo of Eurasia. In: Evolution in the Genus Bufo, p. 102–118. Blair, W.F., Ed., Austin, Texas, USA, University of Texas Press. Litvinchuk, S.N., Borkin, L.J., Skorinov, D.V., Rosanov, J.M. (2008): A new species of common toads from the Talysh Figure 8. Metamorphosed toadlet, after the 84th day of Mountains, south-eastern Caucasus: genome size, allozyme, development of Bufo eichwaldi. Photo by H.G. Kami. and morphological evidences. Russian Journal of Herpetology 15: 19–43. Mozaffari, O., Moghari, E. (2012): Sexual dimorphism in Bufo eichwaldi’s snout shape with description of its usage in male- male competition. Russian Journal of Herpetology 4: 349–351. The dorsum of tadpoles is completely black and their abdominal surface grey. Accepted by Hinrich Kaiser Metamorphosis and toadlets.—Tadpoles metamor- phose on Days 77–91 after hatching and toadlets leave