Herpetology Notes, volume 12: 41-42 (2019) (published online on 10 January 2019) Interspecific amplexus between Glandirana tientaiensis (Chang, 1933) and Odorrana schmackeri (Boettger, 1892) at the Fuchun River, eastern China Jordy Groffen1, Yi Yang2, Amaël Borzée1, and Yikweon Jang1,* During the breeding season, adult male anurans can have negative demographic consequences (Pearl et vocalize to attract females despite the risk of increased al., 2005; Amore et al., 2009). predation. Anurans usually distinguish mates through Herein we report, to the best of our knowledge, the visual, chemical, or acoustic signals (e.g., Bowcock first case of interspecific amplexus (Fig. 1) between et al., 2008; Belanger and Corkum, 2009). This is an adult male Tiantai frog, Glandirana tientaiensis important as egg fertilization is primarily external, (Chang, 1933), and an adult Kaochahien frog, and takes place during amplexus between a male Odorrana schmackeri (Boettger, 1892) of unknown sex. and a female (Wells, 2007). In anurans, interspecific This event was recorded on 7 July 2017 at 2007 h, in the amplexus is a relatively rare behaviour, with fewer than Xiekengkoucun area at a rocky, shallow side stream of 15 reports of interspecific combinations in 2016 and the Fuchun River in China (29.6747°N, 119.6848°E; 2017, in different locations and latitudes around the WGS84; 152 m a.s.l.). Odorrana schmackeri has a world (e.g., Müller, 2016; Beranek, 2017; Mudrek et broad distribution whereas G. tientaiensis is listed by the al., 2017). Some species have frequently been recorded IUCN as Near Threatened due to a small and declining with erroneous mates, for example Atelopus laetissimus, area of occupancy (Lau and Huiqing, 2004). However, with 20 observations of males in interspecies amplexus G. tientaiensis is generally more common near this during a two-day expedition in Colombia (González et al., 2017). Interspecific amplexus can occur in the absence of niche segregation between sympatric species (e.g., Hobel, 2005; Streicher et al., 2010). Explosive breeding includes a short, synchronous burst of breeding activity once or twice a year, and species following this type of reproduction are often susceptible to interspecific amplexus (Duellman and Trueb, 1994). This short time period combined with overlapping breeding habitats increases pressure to breed (Beranek, 2017), which may result in less accurate mate discrimination. Interspecific amplexus is a reproductive interference, as the outcome 1 Department of Life Sciences and Division of EcoScience, Ewha Womans University, 03760 Seoul, Republic of Korea. Figure 1. Interspecific amplexus between an adult 2 School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai, male Glandirana tientaiensis (on top) and an adult China. Odorrana schmackeri of unknown sex, observed at the Fuchun * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] river, China. Photo by Yi Yang. 42 Jordy Groffen et al. locality than O. schmackeri. The breeding periods are Müller, H. (2016): Heterospecific amplexus of a male Tomopterna June and July for G. tientaiensis and July and August delalandii with a dead Sclerophrys cf. capensis (Amphibia: for O. schmackeri. This was our only observation of Anura: Bufonidae et Pyxicephalidae). Herpetology Notes 9: 283–284 reproductive interaction between O. schmackeri and G. Pearl, C.A., Hayes, M.P., Haycock, R., Engler, J.D., Bowerman, J. tientaiensis at this location. (2005): Observation of interspecific amplexus between western Both frog species show sexual size dimorphism, North American ranid frogs and the introduced American which could explain why the somewhat smaller male bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) and an hypothesis concerning G. tientaiensis was engaged in amplexus with the breeding interference. The American Midlands Naturalist 154: O. schmackeri. The average snout–vent length of G. 126–134. tientaiensis at the site was 38.0 mm ± SD 6.16 mm Streicher, J.W., Sheehy, C.M., Cox, C.L., Velasco, J.R., Weatherman, G.N. (2010): Natural history notes. Smilisca (n = 14), while female O. schmackeri can grow up baudinii and Pachymedusa danicolor. Reproduction. to 80 mm (Wu, 2014). For ethical reason, we did not Herpetological Review 41 (2): 208. interfere and could not determine the sex of the O. Wang, Y.Y., Lau, M.W.N., Yang, J.H., Chen, G.L., Lui, Z.Y., Lui, schmackeri. Notably, the frogs in the genus Odorrana Y. (2015): A new species of the genus Odorrana (Amphibia: usually produce strong, foul-smelling, defensive skin Ranidae) and the first record of Odorrana bacboensis from secretions when attacked or stressed (Zhou et al., 2006). China. Zootaxa 3999 (2): 235–254. No secretions or odour were detected during the cross- Wells, K.D. (2007): The ecology and behaviour of amphibians. Chicago, Illinois, USA, University of Chicago Press. species amplexus, and no release calls were given, and Wu, Q. (2014): Diet and influencing factors of the piebald odorous thus it does not appear that the O. schmackeri individual frog Odorrana schmackeri in a fragmented habitat in the was stressed. If it had, the G. tientaiensis male might Thousand Island Lake. Unpublished MSc Thesis, Zhejiang have recognized the O. schmackeri as an unfit mate. University, Hangzhou, China. Zhou, M., Chen, T., Walker, B., Shaw, C. (2006): Lividins: Acknowledgment. This work was supported by a research novel antimicrobial peptide homologs from the skin secretion grant from the National Research Foundation of Korea of the Chinese Large Odorous frog, Rana (Odorrana) livida. (2017R1A2B2003579) to YJ. Identification by ‘‘shotgun’’ cDNA cloning and sequence analysis. Peptides 27: 2118–2123. References Amore, A.D., Kirby, E., Hemingway, V. (2009): Reproductive interference by an invasive species: an evolutionary trap? Herpetological Conservation and Biology 4 (3): 325–330. Belanger, R.M., Corkum, L.D. (2009): Review of aquatic sex pheromones and chemical communication in anurans. Journal of Herpetology 43 (2): 184–191. Beranek, C. (2017): Natural history notes. Litoria dentata and Litoria peronii. Interspecific amplexus. Herpetological Review 48 (2): 411. Bowcock, H., Brown, G.P., Shine, R. 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