CALL BROADCASTING AND AUTOMATED RECORDERS AS TOOLS FOR ANURAN SURVEYS IN A SUBARCTIC TUNDRA LANDSCAPE

Relatively little is known about population ecology of anurans in arctic and subarctic tundra regions, in part because it is difficult to survey anurans in these landscapes. Anuran survey protocols developed for temperate regions have limited applicability in arctic and subarctic tundra landscapes, which may lack roads and vehicle access, and experience variable and inclement weather during short anuran breeding seasons. To evaluate approaches to address some of the limitations of surveying anurans in tundra landscapes, we assessed the effectiveness of using breeding call broadcasts to increase detection of Boreal Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris maculata) and Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) near Cape Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. We also evaluated how counts of anurans derived from automated audio recorders compared with those obtained simultaneously by observers. We detected on average 0.4 additional Wood Frogs per survey when we broadcasted calls (x = 0.82, SD = 1.38), an increase of > 40% compared to surveys without broadcasts (x = 1.24, SD = 1.51; Wilcoxon test; Z = 2.73, P = 0.006). In contrast, broadcasting Boreal Chorus Frog calls did not increase the number of chorus frog detections (Wilcoxon test; Z < 0.001, P > 0.90). Detections of Wood Frogs in a 100-m radius were lower via automated recorders (x = 0.60, SD = 0.87 SD) than by observers during simultaneous surveys (x = 0.96, SD = 1.27 Z = 2.07, P = 0.038), but those of Boreal Chorus Frogs were not different (x = 1.72, SD = 1.31;x = 1.44, SD = 1.5; Z = 1.55, P > 0.121). Our results suggest that broadcasting calls can increase detection of Wood Frogs, and that automated recorders are useful in detecting both Wood Frogs and Boreal Chorus Fogs in arctic and subarctic tundra landscapes

Frog origins: inferences based on ancestral reconstructions of locomotor performance and anatomy

Frogs are the most species-rich and ecologically diverse group of amphibians and are characterized by a unique body plan including long legs, elongated ilia, and fused caudal vertebrae. Stem anurans such as Triadobatrachus or Czatkobatrachus have been suggested to have used jumping or hopping as part of their locomotor repertoire based on their anatomy. The earliest known true frog, Prosalirus bitis was suggested to have been a proficient jumper. However, data on jumping performance in frogs have never been used to attempt reconstruction of ancestral features at the base of the radiation. Here we provide data on jumping performance (forces and acceleration) in 20 species of extant frogs including representatives of most of the early radiating clades. We next use ancestral character value inferences to assess ancestral features. Our analyses suggest that frog ancestors were of small to medium size, had relatively short limbs, produced rather low jump forces, yet were capable of relatively high acceleration. Given the short limbs and low forces, the unique frog bauplan with a reduced vertebral column and a mobile ilio-sacral joint may not have been an adaptation for powerful jumping

Sampling design may obscure species–area relationships in landscape-scale field studies

We investigated 1) the role of area per se in explaining anuran species richness on reservoir forest islands, after controlling for several confounding factors. We also assessed 2) how sampling design affects the inferential power of island species–area relationships (ISARs) aiming to 3) provide guidelines to yield reliable estimates of area-induced species losses in patchy systems. We surveyed anurans with autonomous recording units at 151 plots located on 74 islands and four continuous forest sites at the Balbina Hydroelectric Reservoir landscape, central Brazilian Amazonia. We applied semi-log ISAR models to assess the effect of sampling design on the fit and slope of species–area curves. To do so, we subsampled our surveyed islands following both a 1) stratified and 2) non-stratified random selection of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 islands covering 1) the full range in island size (0.45–1699 ha) and 2) only islands smaller than 100 ha, respectively. We also compiled 25 datasets from the literature to assess the generality of our findings. Island size explained ca half of the variation in species richness. The fit and slope of species–area curves were affected mainly by the range in island size considered, and to a very small extent by the number of islands surveyed. In our literature review, all datasets covering a range of patch sizes larger than 300 ha yielded a positive ISAR, whereas the number of patches alone did not affect the detection of ISARs. We conclude that 1) area per se plays a major role in explaining anuran species richness on forest islands within an Amazonian anthropogenic archipelago; 2) the inferential power of island species–area relationships is severely degraded by sub-optimal sampling designs; 3) at least 10 habitat patches spanning three orders of magnitude in size should be surveyed to yield reliable species–area estimates in patchy systems

The herpetofauna of the cloud forests of Honduras

The cloud forest amphibians and reptiles constitute the most important herpetofaunal segment in Honduras, due to the prevalence of endemic and Nuclear Middle American-restricted species. This segment, however, is subject to severe environmental threats due to the actions of humans. Of the 334 species of amphibians and reptiles currently known from Honduras, 122 are known to be distributed in cloud forest habitats. Cloud forest habitats are found throughout the mountainous interior of Honduras. They are subject to a Highland Wet climate, which features annual precipitation of >1500 mm and a mean annual temperature of <18°C. Cloud forest vegetation falls into two Holdridge formations, the Lower Montane Wet Forest and Lower Montane Moist Forest. The Lower Montane Wet Forest formation generally occurs at elevations in excess of 1500 m, although it may occur as low as 1300+ m at some localities. The Lower Montane Moist Forest formation generally occurs at 1700+ m elevation. Of the 122 cloud forest species, 18 are salamanders, 38 are anurans, 27 are lizards, and 39 are snakes. Ninety-eight of these 122 species are distributed in the Lower Montane Wet Forest formation and 45 in the Lower Montane Moist Forest formation. Twenty species are distributed in both formations. The cloud forest species are distributed among restricted, widespread, and peripheral distributional categories. The restricted species range as a group in elevation from 1340 to 2700 m, the species that are widespread in at least one of the two cloud forest formations range as a group from sea level to 2744 m, and the peripheral species range as a group from sea level to 1980 m. The 122 cloud forest species exemplify ten broad distributional patterns ranging from species whose northern and southern range termini are in the United States (or Canada) and South America, respectively, to those species that are endemic to Honduras. The largest segment of the herpetofauna falls into the endemic category, with the next largest segment being restricted in distribution to Nuclear Middle America, but not endemic to Honduras. Cloud forest species are distributed among eight ecophysiographic areas, with the largest number being found in the Northwestern Highlands, followed by the North-Central Highlands and the Southwestern Highlands. The greatest significance of the Honduran herpetofauna lies in its 125 species that are either Honduran endemics or otherwise Nuclear Middle American-restricted species, of which 83 are distributed in the country’s cloud forests. This segment of the herpetofauna is seriously endangered as a consequence of exponentially increasing habitat destruction resulting from deforestation, even given the existence of several biotic reserves established in cloud forest. Other, less clearly evident environmental factors also appear to be implicated. As a consequence, slightly over half of these 83 species (50.6%) have populations that are in decline or that have disappeared from Honduran cloud forests. These species possess biological, conservational, and economic significance, all of which appear in danger of being lost.Los anfibios y reptiles de los bosques nublados constituyen el segmento más importante de la herpetofauna de Honduras, debido a la prevalencia de especies endémicas y restringidas a la Mesoamérica Nuclear. Este segmento, sin embargo, está sometido a fuertes amenazas medioambientales debido a acciones humanas. De las 334 especies de anfibios y reptiles que se conocen en Honduras en el presente, 122 se conocen que están distribuidas en las habitaciones de los bosques nublados. Las habitaciones del bosques nublados se encuentran a través de las montañas del interior de Honduras. Ellos están sujetos a un clima lluvioso de tierras altas, el cual tiene una precipitación anual de más de 1500 mm y una temperatura anual promedia de menos de 18 grados centígrados. La vegetación de los bosques nublados cae entre dos formaciones de Holdridge, la de Bosque Lluvioso Montano Bajo y la de Bosque Húmedo Montano Bajo. La formación de Bosque Lluvioso Montano Bajo generalmente occure a elevaciones en exceso de 1500 m, aunque puede ocurrir tan bajo como 1300 m en algunas localidades. La formación Bosque Húmedo Montano Bajo generalmente ocurre a 1700 m o más de elevación. De las 122 especies de los bosques nublados, 18 son salamandras, 38 son anuros, 27 son lagartijas y 39 son culebras. Noventa y ocho de estas 122 especies están distribuidas en la formación Bosque Lluvioso Montano Bajo y 45 en la formación Bosque Húmedo Montano Bajo. Viente especies están distribuidas en ambas formaciones. Las especies de los bosques nublados están distribuidas entre categorías distribucionales restringidas, amplias, y periféricas. Las especies restringidas se encuentra como grupo en un rango de elevaciones de los 1340 a los 2700 m, las especies que tienen una distribución amplia en al menos entre una de las dos formaciones de los bosques nublados como grupo tiene un rango desde el nivel del mar hasta 2744 m, y las especies periféricas como grupo tiene un rango desde el nivel del mar hasta 1980 m. Las 122 especies de los bosques nublados ejemplifican 10 patrones distribucionales amplios con rangos de especies para las cuales los rangos terminales norteño y sureño están en los Estados Unidos (o Canadá) y América del Sur, respectivamente, hasta esas especies que son endémicas de Honduras. El segmento más grande de la herpetofauna cae en la categoría endémica, con el proximo segmento más grande siendo restringido en distribución a la Mesoamérica Nuclear, pero no endémico de Honduras. Las especies de los bosques nublados están distribuidas entre ocho áreas ecofisiográficas, con el grupo más grande encontrandose en las tierras altas hacia el noroeste y seguido por las tierras altas norte-central y las tierras altas del suroeste. La importancia más grande de la herpetofauna hondureña cae en sus 125 especies que son endémicas de Honduras o de otra manera restringidas a la Mesoamérica Nuclear, de las cuales 83 están distribuidos en los bosques nublados del país. Este segmento de la herpetofauna está seriamente amenazado a consequencia de la destrucción exponencial de sus habitaciones, el cual es el resultado de la destrucción de los bosques, aunque existen varias reservas bióticas establecidas en los bosques nublados. Otros factores medioambientales menos claramente evidentes parecen estar implicados. Como consequencia, un poco más de la mitad de estas 83 especies (50.6%) tiene poblaciones que están disminuyendo o que han desaparecidos de los bosques nublados hondureños. Estas especies poseen significancia biológica, de conservación, y económica, todas las cuales parecen estar en peligro de ser perdidas

Population Status of the Illinois Chorus Frog (Pseudacris Streckeri Illinoensis) in Madison County, Illinois, With Emphasis on the New Poag Road/FAP 413 Interchange and FAP 413 Wetland Mitigation Site. Report on 1993 Results.

IDOT Contract 1-5-90179INHS Technical Report prepared for Illinois Department of Transportatio

Sexual dimorphism, fresh water dispersal range, and prey items of Marine toads (Rhinella marina) in Lennox Head, Australia

The invasive cane or marine toad (Rhinella marina) has spread across much of Australia since its initial introduction in 1935. Naturally found in Central and South America, R. marina was introduced to Northern Queensland to control cane insect pest populations. This study was conducted at Lake Ainsworth, Lerui.ox Head, New South Wales, Australia to determine if there was sexual dimorphism amoflg ~dult males, adult females, and juveniles by measuring snout-vent length (SVL) and weight. Additional research objectives included determining aquatic range dispersal between adult male and female cane toads, and stomach contents of adult male, adult female, and juvenile by prey order and abundance. There were significant differences detected between SVL of males with small testes (80.00 ± 9.35) and males with developed testes (102.1 ± 11.3, p = 0.007), SVL between gravid females (111.4 ± 16.1) and non-gravid females (95.7 ± 12.1,p = 0.039), and weight between male cane toads (90.9 ± 31.3) and gravid females (145.6 ± 66.7,p = 0.011). There was no significant difference in weight between males (90.9 ± 31.3) and non-gravid females (82.1 ± 34.0, p = 0.506), or SVL between males (102.1 ± 11.3) and females (103.6 ± 16.1, p = 0.637). Insect orders in the stomach contents of R. marina included Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Arachnida, Diptera, Blattodea, Isoptera, Hemiptera, Orthoptera, Odonata, and Dermaptera! . This species likely competes with native species found in the area such as: Limnodyn4sles terraereginae, Liloria caeruiea, Liloria nasuta, Liloria chloris, Liloria brevipalmala, Limnodynastes peronii, Litoria pe ron ii, Crinia signifera, Liloria fallax, Limnodynastes ornatus, Liloria gracilenta, and Liloria tyleri, which also feed on small insects. Several other native species of anurans from New South Wales such as Pseudophryne corroboree, P. dendyi, P. bibroni, Crinia signifera, and Hyla verreauxi had stomach contents that contained the orders Collembola, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Hemiptera, Diptera, Acarina, Araneae, Orthoptera, Odonata, and Diplopoda, suggesting that cane toads compete directly for food resources with the native species.Honors CollegeThesis (B.?.

Digital dissection of the model organism Xenopus laevis using contrast-enhanced computed tomography

The African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, is one of the most widely used model organisms in biological research. However, the most recent anatomical description of X. laevis was produced nearly a century ago. Compared with other anurans, pipid frogs – including X. laevis – exhibit numerous unusual morphological features; thus, anatomical descriptions of more ‘typical’ frogs do not detail many aspects of X. laevis skeletal and soft‐tissue morphology. The relatively new method of using iodine‐based agents to stain soft tissues prior to high‐resolution X‐ray imaging has several advantages over gross dissection, such as enabling dissection of very small and fragile specimens, and preserving the three‐dimensional topology of anatomical structures. Here, we use contrast‐enhanced computed tomography to produce a high‐resolution three‐dimensional digital dissection of a post‐metamorphic X. laevis to successfully visualize: skeletal and muscular anatomy; the nervous, respiratory, digestive, excretory and reproductive systems; and the major sense organs. Our digital dissection updates and supplements previous anatomical descriptions of this key model organism, and we present the three‐dimensional data as interactive portable document format (PDF) files that are easily accessible and freely available for research and educational purposes. The data presented here hold enormous potential for applications beyond descriptive purposes, particularly for biological researchers using this taxon as a model organism, comparative anatomy and biomechanical modelling

CHORUSING PATTERNS OF A DIVERSE ANURAN COMMUNITY, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SOUTHERN CRAWFISH FROGS (LITHOBATES AREOLATUS AREOLATUS)

Wildlife surveys have a critical role in conservation efforts and the collection of life history data. For anuran amphibians these surveys often focus on calling males. In order to further our understanding of anuran ecology, we used automated recording systems to monitor the calling activities of the anuran communities at two beaver-formed lakes and one cattle pond in southeastern Oklahoma. We documented 14 anuran species between 5 February and 28 April 2012. Temperature had a significant effect on the calling patterns of Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toads (Gastrophryne carolinensis), Green Treefrogs (Hyla cinerea), Gray Treefrogs (Hyla versicolor), Southern Crawfish Frogs (Lithobates areolatus areolatus), and Cajun Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris fouquettei). Temperature did not have a significant effect on the calling patterns of Dwarf American Toads (Anaxyrus americanus charlesmithi), American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus), or Green Frogs (Lithobates clamitans). There was not a significant relationship between rainfall and calling for L. a. areolatus. The presence of several of these species, including L. a. areolatus and Hurter’s Spadefoots (Scaphiopus hurterii) was unusual because these anurans typically breed in ephemeral, fishless pools, but the beaver lakes are permanent and sustain populations of carnivorous fishes

Non-Invasive Measurement of Frog Skin Reflectivity in High Spatial Resolution Using a Dual Hyperspectral Approach

Background:Most spectral data for the amphibian integument are limited to the visible spectrum of light and have been collected using point measurements with low spatial resolution. In the present study a dual camera setup consisting of two push broom hyperspectral imaging systems was employed, which produces reflectance images between 400 and 2500 nm with high spectral and spatial resolution and a high dynamic range.Methodology/Principal Findings:We briefly introduce the system and document the high efficiency of this technique analyzing exemplarily the spectral reflectivity of the integument of three arboreal anuran species (Litoria caerulea, Agalychnis callidryas and Hyla arborea), all of which appear green to the human eye. The imaging setup generates a high number of spectral bands within seconds and allows non-invasive characterization of spectral characteristics with relatively high working distance. Despite the comparatively uniform coloration, spectral reflectivity between 700 and 1100 nm differed markedly among the species. In contrast to H. arborea, L. caerulea and A. callidryas showed reflection in this range. For all three species, reflectivity above 1100 nm is primarily defined by water absorption. Furthermore, the high resolution allowed examining even small structures such as fingers and toes, which in A. callidryas showed an increased reflectivity in the near infrared part of the spectrum.Conclusion/Significance:Hyperspectral imaging was found to be a very useful alternative technique combining the spectral resolution of spectrometric measurements with a higher spatial resolution. In addition, we used Digital Infrared/Red-Edge Photography as new simple method to roughly determine the near infrared reflectivity of frog specimens in field, where hyperspectral imaging is typically difficult. © 2013 Pinto et al