Studies on anurans in restinga habitats are few and, as a result, there is little information on which methods are more efficient for sampling them in this environment. Ten methods are usually used for sampling anuran communities in tropical and sub-tropical areas. In this study we evaluate which methods are more appropriate for this purpose in the restinga environment of Parque Nacional da Restinga de Jurubatiba. We analyzed six methods among those usually used for anuran samplings. For each method, we recorded the total amount of time spent (in min.), the number of researchers involved, and the number of species captured. We calculated a capture efficiency index (time necessary for a researcher to capture an individual frog) in order to make comparable the data obtained. Of the methods analyzed, the species inventory (9.7 min/searcher /ind.-MSI; richness = 6; abundance = 23) and the breeding site survey (9.5 MSI; richness = 4; abundance = 22) were the most efficient. The visual encounter inventory (45.0 MSI) and patch sampling (65.0 MSI) methods were of comparatively lower efficiency restinga, whereas the plot sampling and the pit-fall traps with drift-fence methods resulted in no frog capture. We conclude that there is a considerable difference in efficiency of methods used in the restinga environment and that the complete species inventory method is highly efficient for sampling frogs in the restinga studied and may be so in other restinga environments. Methods that are usually efficient in forested areas seem to be of little value in open restinga habitats.Key words: Anura, restinga habitat, Anuran sampling methods, Restinga de Jurubatiba, species richness. RESUMOEdiciência relativa de métodos de amostragem de anuros em um habitat de restinga (Jurubatiba, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil)São escassos os estudos sobre anuros em áreas de restinga e, conseqüentemente, há pouca informação sobre os métodos mais eficientes de amostragem nesse habitat. De forma geral, são utilizados dez métodos de amostragem em comunidades de anuros em áreas tropicais e subtropicais. Neste estudo, avaliamos quais seriam os métodos mais eficientes para amostrar a comunidade de anfíbios na restinga do Parque Nacional da Restinga de Jurubatiba, norte do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Analisamos seis métodos usualmente utilizados para a amostragem de anuros. Registramos, para cada método, o tempo total dispendido (em min), o número de pesquisadores envolvidos e o número de espécies e de anuros capturados. Calculamos, então, um índice de eficiência de captura (tempo necessário para um pesquisador capturar um animal), de forma a tornar comparáveis os dados obtidos, e estimamos a riqueza e a abundância totais obtidas com cada método. Dos métodos avaliados, os mais eficientes foram Inventário completo de espécies (9,7 min/amostrador/ indivíduo-MAI, com riqueza = 6 e abundância = 23) e Transectos em sítios reprodutivos (9,5 MAI, com riqueza = 4 e abundância = 22

We analyzed the diet composition, endoparasites and sexual size dimorphism of the microhylid frog Chiasmocleis capixaba (microhylidae) from a "mussununga" habitat in the municipality of nova Viçosa, southern Bahia state, Brazil. All the 119 specimens analyzed were collected in a single night of heavy rainfall. females (mean snout-vent length = 15.7 + 3.0 mm) were significantly larger than males (mean snout-vent length = 13.2 + 2.1 mm), and specimens of both sexes were smaller than those of a conspecific population previously reported in Aracruz, state of espírito santo state. the diet of C. capixaba was dominated by mites, ants and collembolans. seventy-nine frogs (66.4% of the total) were infected by helminths, all belonging to a single species, Cosmocerca ornata, an intestinal nematode parasite.Keywords: Chiasmocleis capixaba, diet, sexual size dimorphism, parasites, Atlantic rainforest. ReSumo Tamanho corporal, dieta e endoparasitas do anuro microhilídeo Chiasmocleis capixaba em uma área de Floresta Atlântica no sul do estado da Bahia, BrasilAnalisamos a composição da dieta, endoparasitas e dimorfismo sexual em tamanho no anuro Chiasmocleis capixaba (microhylidae) em um habitat de "mussununga" no município de nova Viçosa, no sul do estado da Bahia, Brasil. todos os 119 espécimes analisados foram coletados em uma única noite com chuva intensa. As fêmeas (comprimento rostro-cloacal médio = 15,7 + 3,0 mm) foram significativamente maiores que os machos (comprimento rostro-anal médio = 13,2 + 2,1 mm), e indivíduos de ambos sexos foram menores do que os de uma população coespecífica de Aracruz, no estado do espírito santo. A dieta de C. capixaba estava dominada por ácaros, formigas e colêmbolos. setenta e nove indivíduos (66.4% do total) estavam infectados por helmintos, todos pertencentes a uma única espécie, Cosmocerca ornata, um nematódeo intestinal.Palavras-chave: Chiasmocleis capixaba, dieta, dimorfismo em tamanho, parasitas, floresta Atlântica.

Sympatric anuran species tend to differ in their temporal niche breadth and may also have considerable seasonal variation in diel activity patterns. We studied the temporal niche breadths of six anuran species during 24 consecutive months in an area of secondary forest at the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest. Along hourly intervals, at each of three observation points along a stream, the number of calling males of Adenomera marmorata, Eleutherodactylus parvus, Physalaemus signifer, Aplastodiscus eugenioi, Scinax hayii and S. trapicheiroi was recorded. The influence of rainfall, air humidity and temperature on the variation in the niche breadth of each species was analysed. Mean niche breadth differed for all species. Scinax trapicheiroi had the broadest niche and S. hayii had the smallest. Temporal niche breadth varied seasonally for all species. Two species (E. parvus and S. hayii) showed strong variation in the temporal niche when compared to the other species. Eleutherodactylus parvus, A. eugenioi and S. hayii were significantly affected by rainfall, air humidity and temperature. Niche overlap among species pairs also varied annually with mean temporal niche overlap being greater during the rainy season than during the dry season.

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Although currently there is already a set of studies regarding ecological aspects of some particular reptile and amphibian species living in Brazilian sandy coastal plains (including the so-called “restinga” and “campo nativo” habitats), there is comparatively few information on the species composition usually associated to these environments. During 31 years (1988-2019) of herpetological studies carried out in sandy coastal plains environments by our research team of the Laboratory of Vertebrate Ecology (Department of Ecology, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, in Rio de Janeiro Brazil) we have surveyed reptile and amphibian communities and performed different studies with similar methods in 70 sites from 10 different states along the Brazilian coast. Our surveys resulted in records of 87 species of reptile (five turtles, two crocodylians, six amphisbaenians, 36 lizards and 39 snakes) from 24 families, and 77 species of anuran amphibians from nine families. We have studied multiple natural history topics for anurans and reptiles which resulted in the publication of some specific ecological studies, especially regarding some species, encompassing population and community ecology, foraging and feeding habits, species activity, thermoregulation, reproduction, use of microhabitats, and parasitism by ecto and endoparasites. Our results along these three decades have also contributed for the description of four new lizard species (Ameivula nativo, Glaucomastix littoralis, G. abaetensis and G. itabaianensis). Our studies constitute an important contribution to the knowledge of the ecology of anuran amphibians and reptiles in these ecosystems, as well as to the conservation of sandy coastal plains environment. The checklist presented in this study, based on our records of sandy coastal plains herpetofauna, provides for many localities along the Brazilian coast, the needed knowledge on species occurrence, including the presence of endemic and/or endangered species, which can be of value for many conservation actions.