Notas sobre o comportamento de corte de Aplastodiscus arildae (Cruz & Peixoto, 1985) em um fragmento florestal urbano no sudeste do Brasil (Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae)

The courtship behavior, advertisement call, and courtship call of Aplastodiscus arildae are described based on observations realized at Parque das Mangabeiras, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil. Calling males were observed at leaves above the stream or on the litter near rivulet banks approximately all year. Female is attracted by the calling male and conducted to the subterranean nest, a different place from the calling site. The courtship event involves alternated mutual touches by the couple and calls with higher repetition rate emitted by the male. Aplastodiscus arildae presents reproductive mode with aquatic eggs deposited in subterranean nests. The advertisement call and courtship call consisted of a sequence of a unique no pulsed note, but the first presents larger interval among the calls and duration and higher dominant frequency than the last.O comportamento de corte e os cantos de anúncio e de corte de Aplastodiscus arildae são descritos com base em observações realizadas no Parque das Mangabeiras, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Sudeste do Brasil. Machos vocalizam praticamente por todo o ano, utilizando como sítios de vocalização a vegetação marginal ou o folhedo no barranco na margem de riachos. A fêmea é atraída pelo macho vocalizante, que a leva até o ninho (uma toca subterrânea), que se situa em local diferente do sítio de vocalização. No processo de condução ao ninho estão envolvidos toques mútuos entre os indivíduos e emissões de canto de corte emitidas pelo macho. Aplastodiscus arildae apresenta modo reprodutivo com ovos aquáticos depositados em ninhos subterrâneos. Os cantos de anúncio e de corte consistem de seqüências de uma única nota não pulsionada, sendo que o primeiro apresenta maior intervalo entre cantos e duração e freqüência dominante mais elevada que o segundo

Defense behavior and tail loss in the endemic lizard Eurolophosaurus nanuzae (Squamata, Tropiduridae) from southeastern Brazil

Defense behavior of the endemic tropidurid lizard Eurolophosaurus nanuzae was studied in an area of rocky outcrops at Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais State, southeastern Brazil. Tail loss aspects of this species were also studied in lizards from three populations (Diamantina, Serra do Cipó, and Serro, Minas Gerais State, Brazil). Lizards relied primarily on crypsis to avoid detection by predators. Secondary defense strategies involved a complex set of behaviors. Mean maximum distance of flight was 1.68 ± 1.70 m. When captured,individuals attempted to flee, lifted the tail, produced distress calls, discharged the cloacal contents, waived their tails, and bit. Frequency of tail autotomy was 13.2% (n = 53) in Diamantina, 11.9% (n = 42) in Serra do Cipó, and 4.1% (n = 49) in Serro. Tail autotomy frequency did not differ among the three populations (X2 = 3.3, DF =2, p = 0.19). Tail autotomy did not vary between the years of the study (X2 = 1.32, p = 0.35) and did not differ between males and females among the studied populations

Clutch size in the small-sized lizard Eurolophosaurus nanuzae (Tropiduridae): does it vary along the geographic distribution of the species?

We studied life history traits of females of the lizard Eurolophosaurus nanuzae (Rodrigues, 1981), an endemic species of rock outcrop habitats in southeastern Brazil. During October 2002 and 2003 we sampled three populations in sites that encompass the meridional portion of the geographic range of the species. Clutch size varied from one to three eggs, with most females carrying two eggs. Clutch size did not vary among populations, but was correlated to female body size. Only larger females produced clutches of three eggs. Females of the small-sized E. nanuzae produce eggs as large as those of medium-sized tropidurids, thus investing a considerable amount of energy to produce clutches resulting in high values of relative clutch mass

Notes on the courtship behavior of Aplastodiscus arildae (Cruz & Peixoto, 1985) at an urban forest fragment in Southeastern Brazil (Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae)

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Indirect evidence of predation and intraspecific agression in three sympatric lizard species from a semi-arid area in northeastern Brazil

We analyzed the frequency of tail autotomy, toe amputation and integument scars in three sympatric lizard species, Ameivula ocellifera, Tropidurus hispidus and T. semitaeniatus, from a Neotropical area of semi-arid Caatinga, in northeastern Brazil. We evaluated intraspecific differences in the frequency of injuries between the sexes within each species. Only in A. ocellifera there were differences in frequency of toe amputation and integument scars between males and females, with more injured females than males. This highest frequency of body injuries in females of A. ocellifera might be attributed to the mating behavior of the species, in which males bite and scratch the females. None of the species analyzed presented intersexual differences in frequency of tail autotomy. These findings might be due to similar predation pressure upon males and females as suggested for other lizards species

Habitat use by a tree frog species of Scinax (Amphibia, Hylidae) at an urban forest fragment from south-eastern Brazil

We studied the pattern of habitat use by the tree frog Scinax aff. perereca. Fieldworks were performed from August 1996 to August 1997 at Parque das Mangabeiras, Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Calling males were observed in September, October and December 1996, February to April and June 1997. Females were found only in October 1996. Specimens were found perched on vegetation, on the ground or on stones near waterfall. At Parque das Mangabeiras, S. aff. perereca occupied nine types of substrata. The most frequently used substrata were shrubs, stones at the stream edges, and fallen trunks. The pattern of spatial occupation varied among months. Males were found calling in aggregations on the vegetation and spatial niche breadth was related to species abundance

Daily activity and microhabitat use of sympatric lizards from Serra do Cipó, southeastern Brazil

Nós estudamos a influência da sazonalidade no padrão de atividade e uso de microhabitat ao longo do dia em três espécies simpátricas de lagartos Cnemidophorus ocellifer Spix, 1825 (Teiidae), Tropidurus montanus Rodrigues, 1987 e Eurolophosaurus nanuzae (Rodrigues, 1981) (Tropiduridae) em uma área de campos rupestres no estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Cnemidophorus ocellifer apresentou uma baixa densidade na área e sua atividade se concentrou nas horas mais quentes do dia, sendo visto principalmente em rochas sombreadas. Tropidurus montanus e E. nanuzae demonstraram padrão de atividade similar que não variou entre as estações. No entanto, a atividade em T. montanus esteve ligada às temperaturas do ambiente, enquanto esta condição não afetou o padrão de E. nanuzae durante a estação seca. Tanto T. montanus quanto E. nanuzae foram avistados principalmente em rochas expostas. A extensão da atividade variou entre as estações, sendo menor para C. ocellifer durante a estação chuvosa e maior para T. montanus e E. nanuzae durante o mesmo período.We studied the influence of seasonality on the daily activity pattern and microhabitat use of three sympatric lizard species, Cnemidophorus ocellifer Spix, 1825 (Teiidae), Tropidurus montanus Rodrigues, 1987 and Eurolophosaurus nanuzae (Rodrigues, 1981) (Tropiduridae), in an area of campos rupestres (rocky fields) habitat in state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Cnemidophorus ocellifer exhibited low density and activity concentrated within the hottest hours of the day, and was observed mainly on shaded rocks. Tropidurus montanus and E. nanuzae had similar activity patterns that did not vary between seasons. Activity of T. montanus was related to environmental temperatures. However, we did not find such relationships for E. nanuzae during the dry season. Both T. montanus and E. nanuzae were sighted mainly on exposed rocks. Extension of activity varied between seasons, shorter for C. ocellifer and longer for T. montanus and E. nanuzae during the rainy season.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq