In this study we provide the first data regarding community parameters of leaf-litter anurans inhabiting a forest floor in the state of Paraná, southern Brazil, including information on community species richness, composition, specific density and biomass. Our study was conducted at Salto Morato Natural Reserve using forty plots of 4 x 4 m for each one of the four seasons (winter, spring, summer and autumn), totaling 2.560 m² of forest floor sampled. We sampled a total of 96 frogs inhabiting the forest floor, belonging to seven species: Brachycephalus hermogenesi (Giaretta & Sawaya, 1998), Ischnocnema guentheri (Steindachner, 1864), Haddadus binotatus (Spix, 1824), Leptodactylus gr. marmoratus, Physalaemus spiniger (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1926), Proceratophrys boiei (Wied-Neuwied, 1824), and Rhinella abei (Baldissera, Caramaschi & Haddad, 2004). The overall frog density in the forest floor was 3.73 ind/100m², with I. guentheri (1.37 ind/100 m²) being the most common species and R. abei (0.19 ind/100 m²), the rarest. The estimated overall frog mass in the community was 3.29 g. The abundance, richness and density varied consistently among the four seasons sampled, with the highest values occurring in the spring and summer seasons

Abstract:We provide an updated checklist of the anurans of the Salto Morato Nature Reserve (SMNR), Paraná, southern Brazil, including information on species endemism, conservation status, habitat use, and reproductive modes. We sampled the study area between February 2013 and July 2015, using Visual Encounter Surveys, totaling 700 hours of sampling effort. We supplement our primary data with secondary data (published papers and voucher specimens), and through these, we found a total of 54 anuran species representing 23 genera and 10 families. All the frogs recorded are endemic to the Atlantic Forest. Although no species has been listed as Endangered on the Red Lists of Paraná state, Brazil, and the IUCN, five are classified as Data Deficient. Most of the species recorded were arboreal (55.5%), a third were terrestrial (33.3%), and the remainders were rheophilic (11.1%). We identified 18 different reproductive modes, with types 1 (lay eggs in lentic water where the tadpoles develop) and 23 (direct development of terrestrial eggs) being the most common. Our findings indicate that the SMNR currently has the greatest diversity of anuran species and reproductive modes of any area in southern Brazil.

In recent years, the progressive decline in populations of anuran amphibians has left many species increasingly vulnerable to extinction. The potential role of morphological abnormalities as a mechanism of this decline has attracted attention in many recent studies. We investigated the occurrence and frequency of morphological abnormalities in anurans from northern of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. We sampled 1674 individuals from three different environments – forest, farmland and peri‐urban areas – between 2001 and 2017. We recorded 89 individuals with morphological abnormalities, with 12 different types of abnormality in 19 anuran species. We recorded nine types of abnormality in forest and seven in the farmland, with brachydactyly being the most common abnormality in both areas. Only three abnormalities were recorded in the peri‐urban area, and all three were equally frequent. Studies of morphological alterations provide important insights into the potential effects of environmental impacts on anuran populations and may be essential for the planning of effective conservation strategies.

The state of Paraná, located in southern Brazil, was originally covered almost entirely by the Atlantic Forest biome, with some areas of Cerrado savanna. In the present day, little of this natural vegetation remains, mostly remnants of Atlantic Forest located in the coastal zone. While some data are available on the anurans of the state of Paraná, no complete list has yet been published, which may hamper the understanding of its potential anuran diversity and limit the development of adequate conservation measures. To rectify this situation, we elaborated a list of the anuran species that occur in state of Paraná, based on records obtained from published sources. We recorded a total of 137 anuran species, distributed in 13 families. Nineteen of these species are endemic to the state of Paraná and five are included in the red lists of the state of Paraná, Brazil and/or the IUCN. Two anuran species were categorized as Near Threatened by the IUCN and 27 species were listed as Data Deficient in one or more lists. According to IUCN 49.6% of the anuran species recorded had their population trends stable, 19% in declined, only 1.4% is increased and 20.4% had your population trends unknown. We also recorded the occurrence in Paraná of the exotic invader anuran Lithobates catesbeianus. We consider our list of species to be a relatively reliable estimate of the anuran diversity of the Brazilian state of Paraná, although new species records are expected, mainly because there are many regions that have not yet been sampled. Keywords: Atlantic Forest, checklist, Cerrado, inventory, species richness. Anfíbios anuros do estado do Paraná, sul do BrasilResumo: O estado do Paraná, localizado no sul do Brasil, originalmente possuía praticamente toda sua área coberta pelo bioma Mata Atlântica com algumas porções do bioma Cerrado. Atualmente, pouco resta das formações destes biomas, sendo a maior parte remanescentes florestais de Mata Atlântica, localizados na região costeira do Estado. Apesar de haver estudos sobre anuros no estado do Paraná, até então nenhum deles proveu uma lista dos anuros com ocorrência no Estado, o que pode dificultar o conhecimento sobre a potencial diversidade de anuros e restringir medidas de conservação. A partir dessa lacuna, elaboramos uma lista das espécies de anuros com registro para o Paraná, a partir de dados de estudos publicados. Registramos um total de 137 espécies de anuros, pertencentes a 13 famílias. Dentre estas, 19 espécies de anuros são endêmicas do estado do Paraná e cinco encontram-se relacionadas sob algum grau de ameaça de extinção na lista vermelha do estado do Paraná, do Brasil e/ou da lista global da IUCN. Duas espécies de anuros foram categorizadas como Quase Ameaçada pela IUCN e 27 espécies foram listadas como Dados Insuficientes nestas listas. De acordo com a IUCN, 49,6% das espécies de anuros registradas apresentaram tendências populacionais estáveis, 19% diminuíram, apenas 1,4% aumentaram e 20,4% apresentaram tendências de sua populações desconhecidas. Registramos també...

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is one of the world’s most biodiverse biomes, with large numbers of endemic and threatened species. However, this biome has suffered extensive deforestation and habitat fragmentation, with a drastic reduction of its original vegetation cover. The compilation of data on the occurrence patterns of anurans and their natural history is important for the development of effective conservation strategies. Here, we present the results of a survey of the anuran fauna of Parque Estadual do Papagaio Charão (PEPC) in Rio Grande do Sul state, southern Brazil, providing information on species endemism, conservation status, and reproductive modes. We collected data on the local anurans between March 2018 and February 2019 using active searches and pitfall traps. We recorded 26 anuran species distributed in seven families, with eight different reproductive modes. The largest number of species (20) was found at the forest edge, followed by the interior of the forest and open area, each with 16 species. The most abundant species were Leptodactylus plaumanni (41.7% of records), Physalaemus cuvieri (27.1%), and P. carrizorum (16.5%). Greater species richness and abundance were recorded during the rainier months, while temperature influenced only the abundance of the anurans. Rhinella henseli, Rhinella icterica, Vitreorana uranoscopa, Aplastodiscus perviridis, Boana curupi, Boana leptolineata and Proceratophrys brauni are all endemic to the Atlantic Forest. Melanophryniscus devincenzii is classified as Endangered by the IUCN, and Proceratophrys bigibbosa as Near Threatened. Boana curupi is considered to be Endangered in Rio Grande do Sul state, and Vulnerable in Brazil, while V. uranoscopa is Near Threatened in Rio Grande do Sul. Our findings emphasize the importance of protected areas, such as the PEPC, for the maintenance of anuran populations and communities in the Mixed Rainforest formations of southern Brazil.