Diet of bromeliad-frog Phyllodytes luteolus (Anura, Hylidae) in Atlantic Forest environments: what have the frogs been eating outside sandy coastal plains?

Knowledge about the diet of anurans in different environments is essential to understanding important aspects of their trophic ecology. The bromeliad-frog Phyllodytes luteolus inhabits tank bromeliads in sandy coastal plains and lowland forests on the mainland, as well as a continental island in southeastern Brazil. In this work, we describe and analyze the diet of P. luteolus in three environments. We obtained the consumed prey items of 92 frogs (32 from sandy coastal plain, 32 from lowland forest and 28 from the island) via a stomach-flushing procedure. We found some variations in consumed prey composition and prey volume across populations, but ants represented the most important consumed prey in all environments. Only ants had a relative importance greater than 50%, which may suggest a specialized diet that transcends the sandy coastal plain environment

Anfíbios anuros de brejos e lagoas de São Roque do Canaã, Espírito Santo, Sudeste do Brasil

The realization of inventories in regions where there are few records of amphibian collection is a fundamental tool for conservation. We studied the composition of amphibian species in swamps and lagoons of São Roque do Canaã, a municipality located in the central region of the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. The study was conducted between June 2013 and May 2014, with samplings made twice a month. Fieldwork was concentrated at two sites (one visit per month each), both formed by swamps and ponds temporary and are the main matrix type in the landscape, located in open areas where pastures for cattle and coffee crops predominate. Fieldwork was carried out by two collectors from 17:00 to 24h00min, totaling 24 expeditions, resulting in approximately 336 hours of sampling effort. The species were inventoried through active visual search and auditory census. Twenty two species distributed in 5 families were recorded. Hylidae was the most represented family (N = 16), followed by Leptodactylidae (N = 2), Bufonidae (N = 2), Pipidae (N = 1) and Cycloramphidae (N = 1). The months with the highest number of species in calling activity were November (n = 15) and December (n = 16), 2013, and January 2014 (n = 15), while the months with lower number of species were April, June (n = 5) and July (n = 4), 2013. No species recorded is included in the list of threatened amphibians of the Espírito Santo. The species found are typical of open areas and support well degraded environments. This study is the first step to a better understanding of anurofauna of São Roque do Canaã, since there is absolutely nothing published on amphibians in the region

Anuran species in a remnant of the Atlantic rainforest in an urban area

Forest fragments in urban areas have many habitat resources that frogs use for refuge, reproduction and growth. Knowledge of an anuran assembly is the first step towards understanding the importance of these forest fragments in areas highly threatened by anthropogenic actions. We sampled anurans during the day and night from November 2012 to August 2013 through visual and acoustic surveys. We found 333 individuals belonging to 19 species. The highest richness and abundance were recorded in January whereas the lowest richness and abundance were recorded in June. Most species were found in open areas. Our results highlight the importance of well-studied urban fragments for the anuran community. The conservation of these habitats may ensure the viability of the ecological functions of this anuran community for the future

ANFÍBIOS ANUROS DE BREJOS E LAGOAS DE SÃO ROQUE DO CANAÃ, ESPÍRITO SANTO, SUDESTE DO BRASIL

RESUMO A realização de inventários em regiões onde existem poucos registros de coleta de anfíbios é uma ferramenta fundamental para a conservação. O presente estudo teve como objetivo conhecer a composição dos anfíbios anuros de brejos e lagoas de São Roque do Canaã, município localizado na região central do estado do Espírito Santo. O trabalho foi realizado no período entre junho de 2013 e maio de 2014. As coletas foram conduzidas em duas áreas, sendo uma visita por mês em cada área, ambas formadas por brejos e lagoas localizadas em áreas abertas, onde predominam vegetação remanescente da Mata Atlântica envolta por pastagens para criação de gado e culturas de café. As 24 amostragens foram realizadas por dois coletores e aconteceram das 17h00min às 24h00min, resultando em aproximadamente 336 horas de esforço amostral. As espécies foram inventariadas através de busca visual ativa e censo auditivo. Foram registradas 22 espécies, distribuídas em 5 famílias, sendo Hylidae a família mais representativa (N = 16), seguidas por Leptodactylidae (N = 2) e Bufonidae (N = 2), Pipidae (N = 1) e Cycloramphidae (N = 1). Os meses com maior concentração de espécies em atividade de vocalização foram novembro (n = 15) e dezembro (n = 16) de 2013, e janeiro de 2014 (n = 15), enquanto que os meses com menor concentração foram junho (n = 5) e julho (n = 4) de 2013. Nenhuma espécie registrada está incluída na lista de anfíbios ameaçados do Espírito Santo. As espécies encontradas são típicas de áreas abertas, e suportam bem ambientes degradados. O estudo contribui para um melhor conhecimento da anurofauna do município de São Roque do Canaã, visto que não há dados publicados sobre a herpetofauna da região

Consumo de crías de didélfidos por Micoureus paraguayanus (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) en el sudeste de Brasil

In a study aiming to describe the diet of Micoureus paraguayanus in a southeastern Brazilian Cerrado (savannah-like) remnant, we found young didelphid remains in fecal samples from live-trapped adults. These findings uncovered either events of scavenging on dead young didelphids or infanticide adding to the knowledge on the dietary breadth and behavioral ecology of M. paraguayanus. © SAREM, 2010