Beirne, Christopher

Brent-Smith, Marcus

Fowler, Alex

Villacampa, Jaime

Whittaker, Lawrence

Whitworth, Andrew

English

USP Portal de Revistas (Univ. de São Paulo)

Bamboo traps as refugia for Pristimantis olivaceus (Anura: Craugastoridae) and as breeding site for Osteocephalus castaneicola (Anura: Hylidae)

Enlighten

157Phyllomedusa - 14(2), December 2015Received 21 July 2015.Accepted 17 September 2015.Distributed December 2015.Short CommuniCationBamboo traps as refugia for Pristimantis olivaceus (Anura: Craugastoridae) and as breeding site for Osteocephalus castaneicola (Anura: Hylidae)Lawrence Whittaker1, Andrew Whitworth1,2, Alex Fowler1, Marcus Brent-Smith1, Christopher Beirne1,3, and Jaime Villacampa11 The Crees Foundation, Mariscal Gamarra, B-5, Zona-1, 2da Etapa, Cuzco, Peru.2 Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, Glasgow, UK. E-mail: andy@crees-manu.org.3 Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK.Keywords: bamboo internodes, breeding site, neotropics, phytotelmata, PVC traps.Palavras-chave:CTOCFKNJCUFG28%ſVQVGNOCVCKPVGTPÎUFGDCODWPGQVTÎRKEQUUÈVKQTGRTQFWVKXQPhyllomedusa 14(2):157–161, 2015© 2015 Universidade de São Paulo - ESALQ ISSN 1519-1397 (print) / ISSN 2316-9079 (online)doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v14i2p157-161Ecological and reproductive information on tropical amphibians remains sparse; particularly with respect to the use of phytotelm breeding sites (von May et al. 2009). Phytotelmatas, such as leaf axils, bromeliads, brazil-nut husks, tree cavities, and bamboo internodes are important breeding sites for several amphibians throughout the tropics (Caldwell 1993, Moravec et al. 2009). Bamboo internodes are one of the least documented of these, known only to be utilized in the Neotropics by Ranitomeya sirensis, Fritziana ohausi, Nyctimantis rugiceps, and Aparasphenodon pomba (Duellman and Grey 1983, Lehtinen et al. 2004, Waldram 2008, Assis et al. 2013). Here we provide new information about the use of bamboo internodes by Pristimantis olivaceus (Köhler, Morales, Lötters, Reichle, and Aparicio, 1998) and Osteocephalus castaneicola (Moravec, Aparicio, Guerrero-4GKPJCTF %CNFGTÎP ,WPIHGT CPF )XQŀFÈM2009).Osteocephalus castaneicola is a hylid VTGGHTQI ENCUUKſGF CU ő.GCUV %QPEGTPŒ D[ VJGInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List (IUCN 2013); little is known about its ecology (Moravec et al. 2009, AmphibiaWeb 2015). However, some congeners have been recorded utilising phytotelmata breeding sites (e.g., Ferreira et al. 2012). Pristimantis olivaceus is an arboreal member of Craugastoridae; currently, it is considered “Data &GſEKGPVŒ XQP /C[ et al. 2008, IUCN 2015) and information about its ecology is scarce (Duellman and Lehr 2009). The Manu Learning Centre (MLC) is a research facility owned and operated by The Crees Foundation (www.crees-manu.org) on a reserve known locally as Fundo Mascoitania. 158Phyllomedusa - 14(2), December 2015The reserve is located on the Alto Madre de Díos River, situated in the Manu Biosphere Reserve in southeastern Peru (12o47'21.849'' S, 71o23'28.06'' W, 460 m a.s.l., ~ 643 ha). From 2011 to 2014, the average seasonal rainfall in the wet season (October–March) was 3098 mm but just 1557 mm in the dry season (April–September; weather data collected from the MLC). The reserve contains a patch of bamboo (Guadua sp.)–dominated forest of approximately 18.2 ha. The hollow, segmented internodes of the bamboo naturally collect rain water and are an ideal reproductive site for amphibians that are able to enter them through a breakage event in the bamboo or a hole made by another animal (Waldram 2008).We initiated a pilot study from July to August 2012 to determine whether crafted pieces of DCODQQ CVVCEJGF VQ VTGGU CPF ſNNGFYKVJYCVGTwould attract amphibians. Traps were cut from cross sections of bamboo internodes and fashioned into lengths of 50 cm. We discovered two instances of tadpoles of Osteocephalus castaneicola in the traps, as well as three adult Pristimantis olivaceus. The latter were brought back to the MLC to be photographed and taken as specimens (Figure 1); stored at Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru (MUSM numbers 31665, 31701, 31728).We continued the study with a structured sampling design for a year beginning in mid-October 2012. The traps were designed with two different types of openings: (1) a large circular opening in the top of the bamboo made by removing the top, and (2) a 2 × 5-cm rectangular window cut in the side of the bamboo near the closed top. There were 14 sampling locations, each of which contained a total of four traps, as follow: a high open-top trap, a high closed-top trap, a low open-top trap and a low closed-top trap. Low traps were 60 cm and high traps 170 cm from the ground.Traps were checked once every two weeks to ensure that a liter of water was present. If necessary, water was replenished from a nearby stream, because if the volume of water is too NQYKVKUOQTGFKHſEWNVVQFGVGTOKPGVJGRTGUGPEGof frogs, tadpoles, or eggs (von May et al. 2009). In every check we recorded presence of frogs, tadpoles or eggs. Tadpoles of Osteocephalus castaneicola were brought back to the MLC research station and raised to verify their KFGPVKſECVKQP RJQVQITCRJ FGXGNQROGPVCN UVCIGUand a single individual was taken as a specimen (Figure 2). Stored at Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru. (MUSM number 31606).A Mann Whitney-U test was conducted to determine if Osteocephalus castaneicola showed any preference for the height of the breeding site or the kind of opening (Hollander and Wolfe 1999). Thirty-two reproductive observations (froglets, tadpoles, or eggs) of O. castaneicola were made during the structured study period (total of 34 including occurrences from the pilot period). Seventeen reproductive observations were found within both closed and open-top traps, showing no preference between trap openings (w = 112, p = 0.436). Although more anurans were observed in the high traps than the low (21 and 13, respectively), the difference was PQVUKIPKſECPVw = 88, p = 0.584). Osteocephalus castaneicola used the traps from mid-July through November; however, no observations were made from December to June (Figure 3). Reproductive activity (recorded as the presence of froglets, tadpoles, or eggs) in O. castaneicola seems to begin in the middle of the dry season (July) and reach a peak by the onset of the wet season (October). Subsequently, records drastically fall off as the wet season continues through to November, after which no activity is recorded. The onset of egg deposition in July may be correlated with the presence standing water from the previous wet season; such water may be characterized by a stable high nutrient content and abundance of potential food resources such as mosquito larvae (von May et al. 2009). The onset of the heavy wet season may disturb this stable high nutrient environment and limit the available resources for tadpoles of O. castaneicola to feed and develop.Whittaker et al.159Phyllomedusa - 14(2), December 2015Figure 2. Stages of development of Osteocephalus castaneicola in the bamboo refugia from the MLC study area (average adult SVL = 52.5mm).Figure 1. Individual of Pristimantis olivaceus collected at the MLC study area (SVL = 24.1mm).Osteocephalus castaneicola has been docu-OGPVGF VQ DTGGF KPYCVGTſNNGF JWUMU QH $TC\KNnuts (Moravec et al. 2009) and to avoid appropriate reproductive sites that had already been used by other species of anurans or by predacious insect larvae (Lehtinen et al. 2004, von May et al. 2009). At the MLC reserve, we also found O. castaneicola to breed in pitfall-VTCRU RCTVKCNN[ ſNNGF YKVJ YCVGT 6JGUGoccurrences, along with the lack of preference for open or closed-top bamboo traps, indicate that O. castaneicola opportunistically selects standing water sources for breeding. However, O. castaneicolaFQGUCRRGCTVQWUGURGEKſEEWGUassociated with seasonal rainfall patterns to initiate reproductive events (Figure 3).Pristimantis olivaceus only used bamboo internodes as refugia during the dry season to protect itself from increased heat and sun in a moist, secure environment (Glorioso and Waddle 2014). We also have observed a few P. olivaceus KP DTQOGNKCFU CV VJG /.% TGUGTXG DWV ſTOconclusions cannot be made from these data about breeding sites. Nevertheless, both bamboo internodes and bromeliads likely are important microhabitats and refugia for this species. Other studies utilizing PVC traps have reported amphibians to use the traps as refugia, rather than as water-containing breeding sites (Glorioso and Waddle 2014, Trimble and Aarde 2014).The use of naturally occurring bamboo internodes is a convenient, cost effective way to study phytotelmata breeding/dwelling species, especially because the traps can be made from bamboo naturally present within the study area. Von May et al. (2009) suggested that there is no Bamboo traps as refugia for Pristimantis olivaceus and as breeding site for Osteocephalus castaneicola30mm160Phyllomedusa - 14(2), December 2015UKIPKſECPV FKHHGTGPEG DGVYGGP VJG WUG QHPCVWTCNN[ QEEWTTKPI DCODQQ CPF CTVKſEKCN 28%traps.Although originally considered to be “uncharacteristic” of anurans, phytotelmata-breeding species now are thought to comprise of 154 species worldwide (Lannoo et al. 1987, Lehtinen et al. 2004, Moravec et al. 2009). In terms of future research, phytotelmata provide unique opportunities to study development, tadpole behavior, and predator/prey relationships of anurans. These microhabitats are natural laboratories in which to control environmental factors such as water level, prey/predator presence, and size-factors that cannot be controlled in larger bodies of water and fast-ƀQYKPIUVTGCOU.GJVKPGPet al. 2004).Acknowledgments.—The Crees Foundation (www.crees-manu.org) and its director Quinn Meyer supported this research as part of their conservation and biodiversity-monitoring pro-gramme. The University of Glasgow supported Figure 3. Presence of Osteocephalus castaneicola eggs, tadpoles or froglets each month (white bars) throughout the study period alongside total monthly rainfall.ſGNF YQTM EQPFWEVGF CV VJG /CPW .GCTPKPICentre (MLC). We gratefully acknowledge the ſPCPEKCN UWRRQTV CPF GPEQWTCIGOGPV QH VJGTJMF Foundation who provided crucial support for this work through their Amazon Research Programme grant to the University of Glasgow. 6JCPMU VQ VJG &CTYKP +PKVKCVKXG HQT ſPCPEKCNsupport of the Sustainable Manu project, a collaborative initiative between The Crees Foundation and The University of Glasgow. We thank the MLC and Crees for providing a comfortable and beautiful place to conduct our TGUGCTEJ CPF 6JG %TGGU (QWPFCVKQP ſGNFUVCHHteam for collecting data. The Ministerio de Agricultura of Peru provided the permit for this research (Number “Codigo de Tramite”: 25397; “Autorización No.” 2904-2012-AG- DGFFS-DGEFFS). Additional support was provided by the Chicago Herpetological Society, the Louise Hiom Fund, and Glasgow Natural History 5QEKGV[ HQT ſPCPEKCN UWRRQTV HQT JGTRGVQNQIKECNſGNFYQTMGSWKROGPVWhittaker et al.161Phyllomedusa - 14(2), December 2015ReferencesAmphibiaWeb. 2015. Information on amphibian biology and conservation: An online reference. (11 July 2015). Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Electronic Data-base accessible at: http://amphibiaweb.org/. Captured on 11 July 2015.Assis, C. L., D. J. Santana, F. A. Silva, F. M. Quintela, and R. N. Feio. 2013. A new and possibly critically endangered species of casque-headed tree frog Aparasphenodon Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 (Anura, Hylidae) from southeastern Brazil. Zootaxa 3716: 583–591.Caldwell, J. P. 1993. Brazil nut fruit capsules as phytotelmata: interactions among anuran and insect larvae. Canadian Journal of Zoology 71: 1193–1201.Duellman, W. E. and P. Gray. 1983. Developmental biology and systematics of the egg-brooding hylid frogs, genera Flectonotus and Fritziana. Herpetologica 39: 333–359.Duellman, W. E. and E. Lehr. 2009. Terrestrial Breeding Frogs (Strabomantidae) in Peru. Münster. Nature und Tier Verlag. 382 pp.Ferreira, E., R. G. Rocha, A. Malvasio, and C. Fonseca. 2012. Pipe refuge occupancy by herpetofauna in the Amazonia/Cerrado ecotone. The Herpetological Journal 22: 59–62.Glorioso, B. M and J. H. Waddle. 2014. A review of pipe CPFDCODQQCTVKſEKCNTGHWIKCCUUCORNKPIVQQNUKPCPWTCPstudies. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 9: 609–625.Hollander M. and D. A. Wolfe. 1999. Nonparametric Statistical Methods. 2nd edition. New York. John Wiley & Sons. 787 pp.IUCN. 2013. Osteocephalus castaneicola. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. Eletronic Database accessible at http://www.iucnredlist.org. Captured on 4 January 2015. IUCN. 2015. Pristimantis olivaceus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015.2. Eletronic Database accessible at http://www.iucnredlist.org. Captured on 11 July 2015.Lannoo, M. J., D. S. Townsend, and R. J. Wassersug. 1987. Larval life in the leaves: arboreal tadpole types, with special attention to the morphology, ecology, and behavior of the oophagous Osteopilus brunneus (Hylidae) larva. Fieldiana Zoology 38: 1–31.Lehtinen, R. M., M. J. Lannoo, and R. J. Wassersug, 2004. Phytotelm-breeding anurans: past, present and future research. Miscellaneous Publications, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan 193: 1–9.Moravec, J., J. Aparicio, M. Guerrero-Reinhard, G. Calderón, -*,WPIHGTCPF8)XQŀFÈM#PGYURGEKGUQHOsteocephalus (Anura: Hylidae) from Amazonian $QNKXKC ſTUV GXKFGPEG QH VTGG HTQI DTGGFKPI KP HTWKVcapsules of the Brazil nut tree. Zootaxa 2215: 37–54.Trimble, M. J. and R. J. van Aarde. 2014. A note on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe traps for sampling vegetation-dwelling frogs in South Africa. African Journal of Ecology 52: 381–383.von May, R., K. Siu-Ting, J. M. Jacobs, M. Medina-Müller, G. Gagliardi, L. O. Rodríguez, and M. A. Donnelly. 2008. Species diversity and conservation status of amphibians in Madre De Dios, Southern Peru. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 4: 14–29. von May, R., M. Medina-Müller., M. A. Donnelly, and K. Summers. 2009. Breeding-site selection by the poison frog Ranitomeya biolat in Amazonian bamboo forests: an experimental approach. Canadian Journal of Zoology 87: 453–463.Waldram, M. 2008. Breeding biology of Ranitomeya biolat in the Tambopata Region of Amazonian Peru. Journal of Herpetology 42: 232–237.Editor: Franco Leandro SouzaBamboo traps as refugia for Pristimantis olivaceus and as breeding site for Osteocephalus castaneicola

Lawrence Whittaker

Andrew Whitworth

Alex Fowler

Marcus Brent-Smith

Christopher Beirne

Jaime Villacampa

Crossref

Phyllomedusa Journal of Herpetology

Enlighten: Publications

157
Phyllomedusa - 14(2), December 2015
Received 21 July 2015.
Accepted 17 September 2015.
Distributed December 2015.
Short CommuniCation
Bamboo traps as refugia for Pristimantis olivaceus 
(Anura: Craugastoridae) and as breeding site for 
Osteocephalus castaneicola (Anura: Hylidae)
Lawrence Whittaker1, Andrew Whitworth1,2, Alex Fowler1, Marcus Brent-Smith1, Christopher 
Beirne1,3, and Jaime Villacampa1
1 The Crees Foundation, Mariscal Gamarra, B-5, Zona-1, 2da Etapa, Cuzco, Peru.
2 Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, 
University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, Glasgow, UK. E-mail: andy@crees-manu.org.
3 Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK.
Keywords: bamboo internodes, breeding site, neotropics, phytotelmata, PVC traps.
Palavras-chave:CTOCFKNJCUFG28%ſVQVGNOCVCKPVGTPÎUFGDCODWPGQVTÎRKEQUUÈVKQTGRTQFWVKXQ
Phyllomedusa 14(2):157–161, 2015
© 2015 Universidade de São Paulo - ESALQ 
ISSN 1519-1397 (print) / ISSN 2316-9079 (online)
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v14i2p157-161
Ecological and reproductive information on 
tropical amphibians remains sparse; particularly 
with respect to the use of phytotelm breeding 
sites (von May et al. 2009). Phytotelmatas, such 
as leaf axils, bromeliads, brazil-nut husks, tree 
cavities, and bamboo internodes are important 
breeding sites for several amphibians throughout 
the tropics (Caldwell 1993, Moravec et al. 2009). 
Bamboo internodes are one of the least 
documented of these, known only to be utilized 
in the Neotropics by Ranitomeya sirensis, 
Fritziana ohausi, Nyctimantis rugiceps, and 
Aparasphenodon pomba (Duellman and Grey 
1983, Lehtinen et al. 2004, Waldram 2008, Assis 
et al. 2013). Here we provide new information 
about the use of bamboo internodes by 
Pristimantis olivaceus (Köhler, Morales, Lötters, 
Reichle, and Aparicio, 1998) and Osteocephalus 
castaneicola (Moravec, Aparicio, Guerrero-
4GKPJCTF %CNFGTÎP ,WPIHGT CPF )XQŀFÈM
2009).
Osteocephalus castaneicola is a hylid 
VTGGHTQI ENCUUKſGF CU ő.GCUV %QPEGTPŒ D[ VJG
International Union for Conservation of Nature 
(IUCN) Red List (IUCN 2013); little is known 
about its ecology (Moravec et al. 2009, 
AmphibiaWeb 2015). However, some congeners 
have been recorded utilising phytotelmata 
breeding sites (e.g., Ferreira et al. 2012). 
Pristimantis olivaceus is an arboreal member of 
Craugastoridae; currently, it is considered “Data 
&GſEKGPVŒ 
XQP /C[ et al. 2008, IUCN 2015) 
and information about its ecology is scarce 
(Duellman and Lehr 2009). 
The Manu Learning Centre (MLC) is a 
research facility owned and operated by The 
Crees Foundation (www.crees-manu.org) on a 
reserve known locally as Fundo Mascoitania. 
158
Phyllomedusa - 14(2), December 2015
The reserve is located on the Alto Madre de Díos 
River, situated in the Manu Biosphere Reserve 
in southeastern Peru (12o47'21.849'' S, 
71o23'28.06'' W, 460 m a.s.l., ~ 643 ha). From 
2011 to 2014, the average seasonal rainfall in the 
wet season (October–March) was 3098 mm but 
just 1557 mm in the dry season (April–
September; weather data collected from the 
MLC). The reserve contains a patch of bamboo 
(Guadua sp.)–dominated forest of approximately 
18.2 ha. The hollow, segmented internodes of 
the bamboo naturally collect rain water and are 
an ideal reproductive site for amphibians that are 
able to enter them through a breakage event in 
the bamboo or a hole made by another animal 
(Waldram 2008).
We initiated a pilot study from July to August 
2012 to determine whether crafted pieces of 
DCODQQ CVVCEJGF VQ VTGGU CPF ſNNGFYKVJYCVGT
would attract amphibians. Traps were cut from 
cross sections of bamboo internodes and 
fashioned into lengths of 50 cm. We discovered 
two instances of tadpoles of Osteocephalus 
castaneicola in the traps, as well as three adult 
Pristimantis olivaceus. The latter were brought 
back to the MLC to be photographed and taken 
as specimens (Figure 1); stored at Universidad 
Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru 
(MUSM numbers 31665, 31701, 31728).
We continued the study with a structured 
sampling design for a year beginning in mid-
October 2012. The traps were designed with two 
different types of openings: (1) a large circular 
opening in the top of the bamboo made by 
removing the top, and (2) a 2 × 5-cm rectangular 
window cut in the side of the bamboo near the 
closed top. There were 14 sampling locations, 
each of which contained a total of four traps, as 
follow: a high open-top trap, a high closed-top 
trap, a low open-top trap and a low closed-top 
trap. Low traps were 60 cm and high traps 170 
cm from the ground.
Traps were checked once every two weeks to 
ensure that a liter of water was present. If 
necessary, water was replenished from a nearby 
stream, because if the volume of water is too 
NQYKVKUOQTGFKHſEWNVVQFGVGTOKPGVJGRTGUGPEG
of frogs, tadpoles, or eggs (von May et al. 2009). 
In every check we recorded presence of frogs, 
tadpoles or eggs. Tadpoles of Osteocephalus 
castaneicola were brought back to the MLC 
research station and raised to verify their 
KFGPVKſECVKQP RJQVQITCRJ FGXGNQROGPVCN UVCIGU
and a single individual was taken as a specimen 
(Figure 2). Stored at Universidad Nacional 
Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru. (MUSM 
number 31606).
A Mann Whitney-U test was conducted to 
determine if Osteocephalus castaneicola showed 
any preference for the height of the breeding site 
or the kind of opening (Hollander and Wolfe 
1999). Thirty-two reproductive observations 
(froglets, tadpoles, or eggs) of O. castaneicola 
were made during the structured study period 
(total of 34 including occurrences from the pilot 
period). Seventeen reproductive observations 
were found within both closed and open-top 
traps, showing no preference between trap 
openings (w = 112, p = 0.436). Although more 
anurans were observed in the high traps than the 
low (21 and 13, respectively), the difference was 
PQVUKIPKſECPV
w = 88, p = 0.584). 
Osteocephalus castaneicola used the traps 
from mid-July through November; however, no 
observations were made from December to June 
(Figure 3). Reproductive activity (recorded as 
the presence of froglets, tadpoles, or eggs) in O. 
castaneicola seems to begin in the middle of the 
dry season (July) and reach a peak by the onset 
of the wet season (October). Subsequently, 
records drastically fall off as the wet season 
continues through to November, after which no 
activity is recorded. The onset of egg deposition 
in July may be correlated with the presence 
standing water from the previous wet season; 
such water may be characterized by a stable high 
nutrient content and abundance of potential food 
resources such as mosquito larvae (von May et 
al. 2009). The onset of the heavy wet season 
may disturb this stable high nutrient environment 
and limit the available resources for tadpoles of 
O. castaneicola to feed and develop.
Whittaker et al.
159
Phyllomedusa - 14(2), December 2015
Figure 2. Stages of development of Osteocephalus castaneicola in the bamboo refugia from the MLC study area 
(average adult SVL = 52.5mm).
Figure 1. Individual of Pristimantis olivaceus collected 
at the MLC study area (SVL = 24.1mm).
Osteocephalus castaneicola has been docu-
OGPVGF VQ DTGGF KPYCVGTſNNGF JWUMU QH $TC\KN
nuts (Moravec et al. 2009) and to avoid 
appropriate reproductive sites that had already 
been used by other species of anurans or by 
predacious insect larvae (Lehtinen et al. 2004, 
von May et al. 2009). At the MLC reserve, we 
also found O. castaneicola to breed in pitfall-
VTCRU RCTVKCNN[ ſNNGF YKVJ YCVGT 6JGUG
occurrences, along with the lack of preference 
for open or closed-top bamboo traps, indicate 
that O. castaneicola opportunistically selects 
standing water sources for breeding. However, 
O. castaneicolaFQGUCRRGCTVQWUGURGEKſEEWGU
associated with seasonal rainfall patterns to 
initiate reproductive events (Figure 3).
Pristimantis olivaceus only used bamboo 
internodes as refugia during the dry season to 
protect itself from increased heat and sun in a 
moist, secure environment (Glorioso and Waddle 
2014). We also have observed a few P. olivaceus 
KP DTQOGNKCFU CV VJG /.% TGUGTXG DWV ſTO
conclusions cannot be made from these data 
about breeding sites. Nevertheless, both bamboo 
internodes and bromeliads likely are important 
microhabitats and refugia for this species. Other 
studies utilizing PVC traps have reported 
amphibians to use the traps as refugia, rather 
than as water-containing breeding sites (Glorioso 
and Waddle 2014, Trimble and Aarde 2014).
The use of naturally occurring bamboo 
internodes is a convenient, cost effective way to 
study phytotelmata breeding/dwelling species, 
especially because the traps can be made from 
bamboo naturally present within the study area. 
Von May et al. (2009) suggested that there is no 
Bamboo traps as refugia for Pristimantis olivaceus and as breeding site for Osteocephalus castaneicola
30mm
160
Phyllomedusa - 14(2), December 2015
UKIPKſECPV FKHHGTGPEG DGVYGGP VJG WUG QH
PCVWTCNN[ QEEWTTKPI DCODQQ CPF CTVKſEKCN 28%
traps.
Although originally considered to be 
“uncharacteristic” of anurans, phytotelmata-
breeding species now are thought to comprise of 
154 species worldwide (Lannoo et al. 1987, 
Lehtinen et al. 2004, Moravec et al. 2009). In 
terms of future research, phytotelmata provide 
unique opportunities to study development, 
tadpole behavior, and predator/prey relationships 
of anurans. These microhabitats are natural 
laboratories in which to control environmental 
factors such as water level, prey/predator 
presence, and size-factors that cannot be 
controlled in larger bodies of water and fast-
ƀQYKPIUVTGCOU
.GJVKPGPet al. 2004).
Acknowledgments.—The Crees Foundation 
(www.crees-manu.org) and its director Quinn 
Meyer supported this research as part of their 
conservation and biodiversity-monitoring pro-
gramme. The University of Glasgow supported 
Figure 3. Presence of Osteocephalus castaneicola eggs, tadpoles or froglets each month (white bars) throughout the 
study period alongside total monthly rainfall.
ſGNF YQTM EQPFWEVGF CV VJG /CPW .GCTPKPI
Centre (MLC). We gratefully acknowledge the 
ſPCPEKCN UWRRQTV CPF GPEQWTCIGOGPV QH VJG
TJMF Foundation who provided crucial support 
for this work through their Amazon Research 
Programme grant to the University of Glasgow. 
6JCPMU VQ VJG &CTYKP +PKVKCVKXG HQT ſPCPEKCN
support of the Sustainable Manu project, a 
collaborative initiative between The Crees 
Foundation and The University of Glasgow. We 
thank the MLC and Crees for providing a 
comfortable and beautiful place to conduct our 
TGUGCTEJ CPF 6JG %TGGU (QWPFCVKQP ſGNFUVCHH
team for collecting data. The Ministerio de 
Agricultura of Peru provided the permit for this 
research (Number “Codigo de Tramite”: 25397; 
“Autorización No.” 2904-2012-AG- DGFFS-
DGEFFS). Additional support was provided by 
the Chicago Herpetological Society, the Louise 
Hiom Fund, and Glasgow Natural History 
5QEKGV[ HQT ſPCPEKCN UWRRQTV HQT JGTRGVQNQIKECN
ſGNFYQTMGSWKROGPV
Whittaker et al.
161
Phyllomedusa - 14(2), December 2015
References
AmphibiaWeb. 2015. Information on amphibian biology and 
conservation: An online reference. (11 July 2015). 
Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Electronic Data-
base accessible at: http://amphibiaweb.org/. Captured on 
11 July 2015.
Assis, C. L., D. J. Santana, F. A. Silva, F. M. Quintela, and 
R. N. Feio. 2013. A new and possibly critically 
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Editor: Franco Leandro Souza
Bamboo traps as refugia for Pristimantis olivaceus and as breeding site for Osteocephalus castaneicola


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Bamboo traps as refugia for Pristimantis olivaceus (Anura: Craugastoridae) and as breeding site for Osteocephalus castaneicola (Anura: Hylidae)

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