We discovered a well established populationof L. catesbeianus in Mendoza province, San Carlos department, Capiz locality (33° 41’ 11’’S, 68° 59’09’’ W; elevation: 920 m) and other nearby localities at Tunuyán department. This record extends the distribution range of this species 270 km S-SE from Calingasta, San Juan, and 400 km W-SW from Villa Dolores, Córdoba. The regionis part of the Monte phytogeographic province, which is characterized by an arid climate with mean annual temperature of 17.7ºC (mean annual minimum and maximum: -1.4 and 38.0ºC, respectively) and mean annual rainfall of 331.2 mm, which occurs mainly in summer.Asociación Herpetológica Argentina (AHA

Corbalán, Valeria Elizabeth

Debandi, Guillermo

Martinez, Flavio

Quiroga, Lorena B.

Sanabria, Eduardo A.

Cuadernos de Herpetología

Servicio de Difusión de la Creación Intelectual

Nota43Author for correspondence: sanabria.eduardoa@gmail.comIntroduction of non-native species by humans is agrowing biological concern. The reasons for suchintroductions are varied and include biological con-trol, human consumption, and pet trade (Kraus,2009). Impacts include extinction or extirpation ofnative species, biotic homogenization, disruptionof food webs, changes in primary productivity ofthe ecosystem, changes in soil formation, andvectors of diseases (Kraus, 2009).The American bullfrog, Lithobatescatesbeianus (Shaw, 1802), is considered one of themost invasive species in the world (Lowe et al.,2004). This species can act as a vector for pathogens,especially Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, thefungus that causes chytridiomycosis in amphibians.Chytridiomycosis is syndicated as one of the prin-cipal causes of global amphibian decline (Berger etal., 1998; Longcore et al., 1999; Ron and Merino,2000; Daszak et al., 2003). Also, the ecologicalimpacts of bullfrogs on native species andenvironments include competition with, or removalof, native prey and predators and cascadingcommunity and ecosystem changes (Kraus, 2009).The native range of the American bullfrogextends from eastern Canada, through central andeastern United States, to northeastern Mexico(Frost, 2011). Ecologically, the American bullfrogis a highly adaptable species. This adaptability hasled to its success in invading diverse environmentsranging from deserts to the tropics (Adams andPearl, 2007). This species has been widelyFirst record of the American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus(Shaw, 1802) in Mendoza province, ArgentinaSanabria Eduardo1,2, Guillermo Debandi3,4, Lorena Quiroga1,2, Flavio Martínez4,5, ValeriaCorbalán3,41 Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de SanJuan. Av. Ignacio de la Roza 592 (O), San Juan, Argentina.2 Laboratorio de Investigaciones Andrológicas de Mendoza, Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza,Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, UN Cuyo, CCT Mendoza, CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina.3 IADIZA-CCT Mendoza-CONICET. Av. Ruiz Leal s/n Parque Gral. San Martín, 5500, Mendoza, Argentina;4 BIOTA (Asociación para la Conservación de la Diversidad Biológica Argentina);5 Dirección de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Provincia de Mendoza, Parque Gral. San Martín, 5500Mendoza, Argentina.Cuad. herpetol. 25 (2): 43-46 (2011)introduced around the world, and feral populationshave been reported in almost all countries of SouthAmerica (Frost, 2011). Populations of L.catesbeianus have recently been reported from Ar-gentina in the provinces of San Juan (Sanabria etal., 2005; Sanabria et al., 2011), Misiones (Pereyraet al., 2006), Buenos Aires (Barrasso et al., 2009),Córdoba (Akmentins et al., 2009; Nori et al., 2011),and Salta (Akmentins and Cardozo, 2010). Here wereport a first record of Lithobates catesbeianus fromMendoza province, Argentina.We discovered a well established populationof L. catesbeianus in Mendoza province, San Car-los department, Capiz locality (33° 41’ 11’’S, 68° 59’09’’ W; elevation: 920 m) and other nearby localitiesat Tunuyán department (Fig. 1 and Table 1). Thisrecord extends the distribution range of this species270 km S-SE from Calingasta, San Juan, and 400km W-SW from Villa Dolores, Córdoba. The regionis part of the Monte phytogeographic province,which is characterized by an arid climate with meanannual temperature of 17.7ºC (mean annualminimum and maximum: -1.4 and 38.0ºC,respectively) and mean annual rainfall of 331.2 mm,which occurs mainly in summer (San Carlosmeteorological station; Capitanelli, 1999).This area has been deeply modified foragriculture, and is irrigated by a channel system thatconnects rivers, streams, and natural spring watersthroughout the entire area. Frequently, land holderscollect water in artificial ponds to use during water44E. Sanabria et al. - American bullfrog in Mendoza, Argentinashortages. We found L. catesbeianus using artificialponds for reproduction, as well as irrigationchannels for adult and tadpole dispersal betweenwater bodies.The dominant native plants of these streamsand channels include Eupatorium sp., Scirpus sp.,Juncus sp., Cortaderia rudiuscula, Typhadominguensis, and many floating-leaf emergentplant species like Nasturtium nasturtium-aquaticum and Hydrocotyle ranunculoides. It is alsocommon to find the invasive species Tamarix gallicain river and stream banks, and planted trees of Salixspp. on the margins of main irrigation channels.On 3 February 2011, we surveyed the areasearching for amphibians in an artificial pool (2.25ha) and its surrounding waterways. During sixhours at night (from 7 pm to 1 am), we collectedadult frogs and tadpoles of L. catesbeianus by handand hand net. The captured frogs were euthanizedby immersion in 40 % ethanol, fixed in 10%formalin, and preserved in 70% ethanol. Larvaewere preserved in 10% formalin. All specimens ofL. catesbeianus were deposited at the HerpetologicalCollection of the Instituto Argentino de Investiga-ciones de las Zonas Áridas (CH-IADIZA 343, 344-1 to 344-22, 345).We observed tadpoles of L. catesbeianus in theartificial waterways and pools. These environmentsprovide a suitable habitat for the larvae to comple-te their development and for adults to thrive andreproduce. We captured 52 tadpoles of L.catesbeianus representing various stages ofdevelopment (Fig. 2). Also, we captured one adultmale and 22 juveniles. American bullfrog’s malesvocalized actively during our field surveys.Other amphibian species present in the areawere adults of Rhinella arenarum and a juvenile ofLeptodactylus latrans, which were released at thecapture site. We did not find tadpoles of these twospecies in the surveyed water bodies. Akmentins etal. (2009) and Sanabria and Quiroga (2010)reported that L. catesbeianus eat amphibians,snakes, mammals, and invertebrates, and Barrassoet al. (2009) reported Leptadactylus latrans as partof its diet. In accordance to this, local people fromCapiz pointed out that in the past the Rana criolla(L. latrans) were more abundant than today and thatthey have disappeared from several sites.In a recent publication about the invasion ofL. catesbeianus, Nori et al. (2011) reported 12localities that can be assumed to contain feralpopulations from Argentina and modeled thepotential invasion areas of L. catesbeianus in Ar-gentina using data from the native range of thisspecies. In the prediction map, Mendoza shows anarea with a high probability of invasion by L.catesbeianus at 70 km NE from the locality reportedhere. Although the authors indicate that factors suchas low precipitation or high altitudes could belimiting the species’ ability to invade the west andsouth of Argentina, other factors like localenvironmental conditions where frog farms arelocated can be important for successful establish-ment of new populations. The new locality reportedFigure 1. Geographic location of the new records of theAmerican bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) in Mendozaprovince, Argentina.seitilacoL edutitaL edutitaLrevirnáyunuTrevoegdirB S''83'03°33 W''21'95°86lennahcnoitagirrI S''74'93°33 W''43'00°96maertssolraCnaSrevoegdirB S''21'14°33 W''00'10°96dnopzenémiG S''92'34°33 W''83'00°96Table 1. Additional localities near Capiz for L.catesbeianusfrom Mendoza province45Literature citedAdams, M.J. & Pearl C.A. 2007. Problems and opportunitiesmanaging invasive bullfrogs. Is there any hope?: 679–693.In: Gherardi, F. (ed), Biological invaders in inland waters:profiles, distribution and threats. Springer, Dordrecht.Akmentins, M.S. & Cardozo, D.E. 2010. American bullfrogLithobates catesbeianus (Shaw, 1802) invasion inArgentina. Biological Invasions 12: 735-737.Akmentins, M.S.; Pereyra, L.C. & Lescano, J.N. 2009. Primerregistro de una población asilvestrada de rana toro(Lithobates catesbeianus) en la provincia de Córdoba,Argentina. Notas sobre la biología de la especie. Cuadernosde Herpetología 23: 25–32.Barrasso, D.A.;  Cajade, R.; Nenda, S.J.; Baloriani ,G. & Herrera,R. 2009. Introduction of the American bullfrog Lithobatescatesbeianus (Anura: Ranidae) in natural and modifiedenvironments: an increasing conservation problem inArgentina. South American Journal of Herpetology 4: 69–75.Berger, L.; Speare, R.; Daszak. P.; Green, D.E.; Cunningham,A.A.; Goggin, C.L.; Slocombe, R.; Ragan, M.A.; Hyatt,A.D.; McDonald, K.R.; Hines, H.B.; Lips, K.R.; Marantelli,G. & Parkes, H. 1998. Chytridiomycosis causes amphibianmortality associated with population declines in the rainforests of Australia and Central America. Proceedings ofthe National Academy of Sciences, USA 95: 9031–9036.Capitanelli, R.G. 1999. Climas de la Provincia de Mendoza.Meridiano. Revista de Geografía 7: 29-40.Daszak, P.; Cunningham, A.A. & Hyatt, A.D. 2003. Infectiousdisease and amphibian population declines. Diversity andDistribution 9: 141–150.Frost, D. R. 2011. Amphibian species of the world: an onlinereference. Version 5.5 (31 January, 2011). ElectronicDatabase accessible at http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/. American Museum of NaturalHistory, New York, USA. Accessed 4 May, 2011.Gosner, K.L. 1960. A simplified table for staging anuranhere is located in a highly vegetated and shaded areawith many natural springs and irrigation channels,which represent suitable conditions for this speciesbut are not captured by traditional modelingprocedures. Clearly, predictive models aredeveloped with environmental parameters undernatural conditions, the new area is not detected bythe model because is an artificial ecosystem. Theseecosystems provide local conditions that allow thereproduction of bullfrog.Akmentins and Cardozo (2010) mentionedthat the lack of government regulation or controlover frog-farming facilities is the most probablesource of feral populations in Argentina. Accordingto local people from Capiz, L. catesbeianus was firstintroduced at least 20 years ago when specimenswere released from a frog farm located close to thesites reported here (33° 40’ 37’’ S, 68° 58’ 49’’ W).Also they expressed that teachers from a school ofCapiz encouraged the students to breed bullfrogsin channels and streams near their homes. Thus, acombination of factors, including a lack ofawareness by the people about the risks of speciesintroduction, and relaxed governmental policy incontrolling frog farms, are likely to be the origin ofthe introduction of L. catesbeianus in this region ofMendoza.Studies of reproductive potential, trophicecology and prevalence of chytrid fungus infectionof this feral population of American bullfrog areneeded to better understand the impacts of thisinvasive species on native biodiversity of Mendoza.Also, it is necessary to determine the actualdistribution in the studied area. The finding of someindividuals in the Tunuyán river, close to El Carrizaldam, makes it imperative to alert to environmentalauthorities and take the necessary actions to restrictthe spread of this species in a more extensiveirrigation system. We suggest a review and updateof the legislation concerning exotic species trade inorder to prevent the establishment of additionalpopulations of L. catesbeianus in Argentina.Furthermore, application of control measures andintegrated management of previously establishedpopulations of American bullfrog should involvelocal people, land owners, government decision-makers, and academic institutions.AcknowledgmentsWe would like to thank agricultural land managersfor allowing access to their pond and irrigationchannels, and J. Warner and N. Horák for helpingus with the English version.Figure 2. Tadpole stages found at the surveyed area. Stagesclassified according Gosner (1960).Cuad. herpetol. 25 (2): 43-46 (2011)46© 2011 por los autores, licencia otorgada a la Asociación Herpetológica Argen-tina. Este artículo es de acceso abierto y distribuido bajo los términos y condi-ciones de una licencia Atribución-No Comercial 3.0 Unported de CreativeCommons. Para ver una copia de esta licencia, visite http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/deed.esRecibida: 27 Abril 2011Revisada: 02 Mayo 2011Aceptada: 17 Junio 2011Editor Asociado: M. Vairaembryos and larvae with notes on identification.Herpetologica 16: 183–190.Kraus, F. 2009. Alien reptiles and amphibian. A scientificcompendium and analysis. Invading nature: Springerseries in invasion ecology 4. Springer, New York, USA.Longcore, J.E.; Pessier, A.P. & Nichols. D.K. 1999.Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis gen. et sp. nov., a chytridpathogenic to amphibians. Mycologia 91: 219–227.Nori, J.; Akmentins, M.; Ghirardi, R.; Frutos N. & Leynaud,G. 2011. American bullfrog invasion in Argentina: whereshould we take urgent measures?. Biodiversity andConservation 20:1125–1132Pereyra, M.O.; D. Baldo & E.R. Krauczuk. 2006. La ‘‘rana toro’’en la Selva Atlántica Interior Argentina: un nuevoproblema de conservación. Cuadernos de Herpetología20:37–40Ron, S.R. & Merino, A. 2000. Amphibian declines in Ecuador:overview and first report of chytridiomycosis from SouthAmerica. Froglog 42:2–3.Sanabria, E.A.; Quiroga, L.B. & Acosta, J.C. 2005. Introducciónde Rana catesbeiana (rana toro), en ambientes pre-cordilleranos de la provincia de San Juan, Argentina.Multequina 14:65–68.Sanabria, E.A. & Quiroga, L.B. 2010. Lithobates catesbeianus(American Bullfrog). Diet of alien species. HerpetologicalReview 41: 339.Sanabria, E.A.; Ripoll, Y.; Jordan , M.; Quiroga, L.B.; Ariza,M.; Guillemain, M., Perez, M. & Chávez, H. 2011.American Bullfrog (Lithobat;s catesbeianus) invasion inSan Juan, Argentina. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad82: 311-313.E. Sanabria et al. - American bullfrog in Mendoza, Argentina

First record of the American bullfrog <i>Lithobates catesbeianus</i> (Shaw, 1802) in Mendoza province, Argentina

El Servicio de Difusión de la Creación Intelectual

Nota
43
Author for correspondence: sanabria.eduardoa@gmail.com
Introduction of non-native species by humans is a
growing biological concern. The reasons for such
introductions are varied and include biological con-
trol, human consumption, and pet trade (Kraus,
2009). Impacts include extinction or extirpation of
native species, biotic homogenization, disruption
of food webs, changes in primary productivity of
the ecosystem, changes in soil formation, and
vectors of diseases (Kraus, 2009).
The American bullfrog, Lithobates
catesbeianus (Shaw, 1802), is considered one of the
most invasive species in the world (Lowe et al.,
2004). This species can act as a vector for pathogens,
especially Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the
fungus that causes chytridiomycosis in amphibians.
Chytridiomycosis is syndicated as one of the prin-
cipal causes of global amphibian decline (Berger et
al., 1998; Longcore et al., 1999; Ron and Merino,
2000; Daszak et al., 2003). Also, the ecological
impacts of bullfrogs on native species and
environments include competition with, or removal
of, native prey and predators and cascading
community and ecosystem changes (Kraus, 2009).
The native range of the American bullfrog
extends from eastern Canada, through central and
eastern United States, to northeastern Mexico
(Frost, 2011). Ecologically, the American bullfrog
is a highly adaptable species. This adaptability has
led to its success in invading diverse environments
ranging from deserts to the tropics (Adams and
Pearl, 2007). This species has been widely
First record of the American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus
(Shaw, 1802) in Mendoza province, Argentina
Sanabria Eduardo1,2, Guillermo Debandi3,4, Lorena Quiroga1,2, Flavio Martínez4,5, Valeria
Corbalán3,4
1 Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San
Juan. Av. Ignacio de la Roza 592 (O), San Juan, Argentina.
2 Laboratorio de Investigaciones Andrológicas de Mendoza, Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza,
Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, UN Cuyo, CCT Mendoza, CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina.
3 IADIZA-CCT Mendoza-CONICET. Av. Ruiz Leal s/n Parque Gral. San Martín, 5500, Mendoza, Argentina;
4 BIOTA (Asociación para la Conservación de la Diversidad Biológica Argentina);
5 Dirección de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Provincia de Mendoza, Parque Gral. San Martín, 5500
Mendoza, Argentina.
Cuad. herpetol. 25 (2): 43-46 (2011)
introduced around the world, and feral populations
have been reported in almost all countries of South
America (Frost, 2011). Populations of L.
catesbeianus have recently been reported from Ar-
gentina in the provinces of San Juan (Sanabria et
al., 2005; Sanabria et al., 2011), Misiones (Pereyra
et al., 2006), Buenos Aires (Barrasso et al., 2009),
Córdoba (Akmentins et al., 2009; Nori et al., 2011),
and Salta (Akmentins and Cardozo, 2010). Here we
report a first record of Lithobates catesbeianus from
Mendoza province, Argentina.
We discovered a well established population
of L. catesbeianus in Mendoza province, San Car-
los department, Capiz locality (33° 41’ 11’’S, 68° 59’
09’’ W; elevation: 920 m) and other nearby localities
at Tunuyán department (Fig. 1 and Table 1). This
record extends the distribution range of this species
270 km S-SE from Calingasta, San Juan, and 400
km W-SW from Villa Dolores, Córdoba. The region
is part of the Monte phytogeographic province,
which is characterized by an arid climate with mean
annual temperature of 17.7ºC (mean annual
minimum and maximum: -1.4 and 38.0ºC,
respectively) and mean annual rainfall of 331.2 mm,
which occurs mainly in summer (San Carlos
meteorological station; Capitanelli, 1999).
This area has been deeply modified for
agriculture, and is irrigated by a channel system that
connects rivers, streams, and natural spring waters
throughout the entire area. Frequently, land holders
collect water in artificial ponds to use during water
44
E. Sanabria et al. - American bullfrog in Mendoza, Argentina
shortages. We found L. catesbeianus using artificial
ponds for reproduction, as well as irrigation
channels for adult and tadpole dispersal between
water bodies.
The dominant native plants of these streams
and channels include Eupatorium sp., Scirpus sp.,
Juncus sp., Cortaderia rudiuscula, Typha
dominguensis, and many floating-leaf emergent
plant species like Nasturtium nasturtium-
aquaticum and Hydrocotyle ranunculoides. It is also
common to find the invasive species Tamarix gallica
in river and stream banks, and planted trees of Salix
spp. on the margins of main irrigation channels.
On 3 February 2011, we surveyed the area
searching for amphibians in an artificial pool (2.25
ha) and its surrounding waterways. During six
hours at night (from 7 pm to 1 am), we collected
adult frogs and tadpoles of L. catesbeianus by hand
and hand net. The captured frogs were euthanized
by immersion in 40 % ethanol, fixed in 10%
formalin, and preserved in 70% ethanol. Larvae
were preserved in 10% formalin. All specimens of
L. catesbeianus were deposited at the Herpetological
Collection of the Instituto Argentino de Investiga-
ciones de las Zonas Áridas (CH-IADIZA 343, 344-
1 to 344-22, 345).
We observed tadpoles of L. catesbeianus in the
artificial waterways and pools. These environments
provide a suitable habitat for the larvae to comple-
te their development and for adults to thrive and
reproduce. We captured 52 tadpoles of L.
catesbeianus representing various stages of
development (Fig. 2). Also, we captured one adult
male and 22 juveniles. American bullfrog’s males
vocalized actively during our field surveys.
Other amphibian species present in the area
were adults of Rhinella arenarum and a juvenile of
Leptodactylus latrans, which were released at the
capture site. We did not find tadpoles of these two
species in the surveyed water bodies. Akmentins et
al. (2009) and Sanabria and Quiroga (2010)
reported that L. catesbeianus eat amphibians,
snakes, mammals, and invertebrates, and Barrasso
et al. (2009) reported Leptadactylus latrans as part
of its diet. In accordance to this, local people from
Capiz pointed out that in the past the Rana criolla
(L. latrans) were more abundant than today and that
they have disappeared from several sites.
In a recent publication about the invasion of
L. catesbeianus, Nori et al. (2011) reported 12
localities that can be assumed to contain feral
populations from Argentina and modeled the
potential invasion areas of L. catesbeianus in Ar-
gentina using data from the native range of this
species. In the prediction map, Mendoza shows an
area with a high probability of invasion by L.
catesbeianus at 70 km NE from the locality reported
here. Although the authors indicate that factors such
as low precipitation or high altitudes could be
limiting the species’ ability to invade the west and
south of Argentina, other factors like local
environmental conditions where frog farms are
located can be important for successful establish-
ment of new populations. The new locality reported
Figure 1. Geographic location of the new records of the
American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) in Mendoza
province, Argentina.
seitilacoL edutitaL edutitaL
revirnáyunuTrevoegdirB S''83'03°33 W''21'95°86
lennahcnoitagirrI S''74'93°33 W''43'00°96
maertssolraCnaSrevoegdirB S''21'14°33 W''00'10°96
dnopzenémiG S''92'34°33 W''83'00°96
Table 1. Additional localities near Capiz for L.catesbeianus
from Mendoza province
45
Literature cited
Adams, M.J. & Pearl C.A. 2007. Problems and opportunities
managing invasive bullfrogs. Is there any hope?: 679–693.
In: Gherardi, F. (ed), Biological invaders in inland waters:
profiles, distribution and threats. Springer, Dordrecht.
Akmentins, M.S. & Cardozo, D.E. 2010. American bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus (Shaw, 1802) invasion in
Argentina. Biological Invasions 12: 735-737.
Akmentins, M.S.; Pereyra, L.C. & Lescano, J.N. 2009. Primer
registro de una población asilvestrada de rana toro
(Lithobates catesbeianus) en la provincia de Córdoba,
Argentina. Notas sobre la biología de la especie. Cuadernos
de Herpetología 23: 25–32.
Barrasso, D.A.;  Cajade, R.; Nenda, S.J.; Baloriani ,G. & Herrera,
R. 2009. Introduction of the American bullfrog Lithobates
catesbeianus (Anura: Ranidae) in natural and modified
environments: an increasing conservation problem in
Argentina. South American Journal of Herpetology 4: 69–
75.
Berger, L.; Speare, R.; Daszak. P.; Green, D.E.; Cunningham,
A.A.; Goggin, C.L.; Slocombe, R.; Ragan, M.A.; Hyatt,
A.D.; McDonald, K.R.; Hines, H.B.; Lips, K.R.; Marantelli,
G. & Parkes, H. 1998. Chytridiomycosis causes amphibian
mortality associated with population declines in the rain
forests of Australia and Central America. Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences, USA 95: 9031–9036.
Capitanelli, R.G. 1999. Climas de la Provincia de Mendoza.
Meridiano. Revista de Geografía 7: 29-40.
Daszak, P.; Cunningham, A.A. & Hyatt, A.D. 2003. Infectious
disease and amphibian population declines. Diversity and
Distribution 9: 141–150.
Frost, D. R. 2011. Amphibian species of the world: an online
reference. Version 5.5 (31 January, 2011). Electronic
Database accessible at http://research.amnh.org/
herpetology/amphibia/. American Museum of Natural
History, New York, USA. Accessed 4 May, 2011.
Gosner, K.L. 1960. A simplified table for staging anuran
here is located in a highly vegetated and shaded area
with many natural springs and irrigation channels,
which represent suitable conditions for this species
but are not captured by traditional modeling
procedures. Clearly, predictive models are
developed with environmental parameters under
natural conditions, the new area is not detected by
the model because is an artificial ecosystem. These
ecosystems provide local conditions that allow the
reproduction of bullfrog.
Akmentins and Cardozo (2010) mentioned
that the lack of government regulation or control
over frog-farming facilities is the most probable
source of feral populations in Argentina. According
to local people from Capiz, L. catesbeianus was first
introduced at least 20 years ago when specimens
were released from a frog farm located close to the
sites reported here (33° 40’ 37’’ S, 68° 58’ 49’’ W).
Also they expressed that teachers from a school of
Capiz encouraged the students to breed bullfrogs
in channels and streams near their homes. Thus, a
combination of factors, including a lack of
awareness by the people about the risks of species
introduction, and relaxed governmental policy in
controlling frog farms, are likely to be the origin of
the introduction of L. catesbeianus in this region of
Mendoza.
Studies of reproductive potential, trophic
ecology and prevalence of chytrid fungus infection
of this feral population of American bullfrog are
needed to better understand the impacts of this
invasive species on native biodiversity of Mendoza.
Also, it is necessary to determine the actual
distribution in the studied area. The finding of some
individuals in the Tunuyán river, close to El Carrizal
dam, makes it imperative to alert to environmental
authorities and take the necessary actions to restrict
the spread of this species in a more extensive
irrigation system. We suggest a review and update
of the legislation concerning exotic species trade in
order to prevent the establishment of additional
populations of L. catesbeianus in Argentina.
Furthermore, application of control measures and
integrated management of previously established
populations of American bullfrog should involve
local people, land owners, government decision-
makers, and academic institutions.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank agricultural land managers
for allowing access to their pond and irrigation
channels, and J. Warner and N. Horák for helping
us with the English version.
Figure 2. Tadpole stages found at the surveyed area. Stages
classified according Gosner (1960).
Cuad. herpetol. 25 (2): 43-46 (2011)
46
© 2011 por los autores, licencia otorgada a la Asociación Herpetológica Argen-
tina. Este artículo es de acceso abierto y distribuido bajo los términos y condi-
ciones de una licencia Atribución-No Comercial 3.0 Unported de Creative
Commons. Para ver una copia de esta licencia, visite http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/deed.es
Recibida: 27 Abril 2011
Revisada: 02 Mayo 2011
Aceptada: 17 Junio 2011
Editor Asociado: M. Vaira
embryos and larvae with notes on identification.
Herpetologica 16: 183–190.
Kraus, F. 2009. Alien reptiles and amphibian. A scientific
compendium and analysis. Invading nature: Springer
series in invasion ecology 4. Springer, New York, USA.
Longcore, J.E.; Pessier, A.P. & Nichols. D.K. 1999.
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis gen. et sp. nov., a chytrid
pathogenic to amphibians. Mycologia 91: 219–227.
Nori, J.; Akmentins, M.; Ghirardi, R.; Frutos N. & Leynaud,
G. 2011. American bullfrog invasion in Argentina: where
should we take urgent measures?. Biodiversity and
Conservation 20:1125–1132
Pereyra, M.O.; D. Baldo & E.R. Krauczuk. 2006. La ‘‘rana toro’’
en la Selva Atlántica Interior Argentina: un nuevo
problema de conservación. Cuadernos de Herpetología
20:37–40
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http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/bitstream/handle/10915/6514/Documento_completo.pdf?sequence=1

First record of the American bullfrog <i>Lithobates catesbeianus</i> (Shaw, 1802) in Mendoza province, Argentina

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