Morphological characterization and taxonomic key of tadpoles (Amphibia: Anura) from the northern region of the Atlantic Forest

Abstract

Although anuran tadpoles are widely distributed and abundant in tropical aquatic habitats, there is a lack of taxonomic keys for the Atlantic Forest. Herein, we developed a dichotomous key for identifying the tadpoles for all species with known larval phase and already recorded in the Atlantic Forest north of the São Francisco River. We analyzed discrete characteristics of 1,042 tadpoles encompassing 63 species of 28 genera from 32 localities. The user-friendly key includes illustration and pictures, and it is a significant step towards improving our knowledge of tadpoles of the Atlantic Forest.

A neotype for Hyla x-signata Spix, 1824 (Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae)

“…The designation and description of a neotype for Scinax x-signatus, including information on advertisement calls and 16S sequences, should make feasible the reevaluation of all previous records assigned to this species throughout its extensive distribution (e.g., Heyer et al, 1990;Gorzula & Señaris, 1999;Lescure & Marty, 2000;Izecksohn & Carvalho-e-Silva, 2001;Juncá, 2006;Henderson & Powell, 2009;Silva et al, 2010;Tárano, 2010;Ugueto & Rivas-Fuenmayor, 2010;Ouboter & Jairam, 2012;Cole et al, 2013;Nogueira et al, 2015;Barrio-Amorós et al, 2019;Dubeux et al, 2020;Señaris & Rojas-Runjaic, 2020). In this sense, we showed that S. x-signatus is distinguishable from species such as S. eurydice, S. granulatus, S. nasicus, S. similis, and S. ruber, with which it had been confused throughout its distribution.…”

Morphological characterization and diversity of tadpoles (Amphibia: Anura) at Emas National Park and its surrounding, Goiás State, Brazil

“…The tadpoles we describe are similar to those described for other populations, differing in a few characters: body and snout shape, tooth row formula, and fin height. The population described by Dubeux et al (2020), collected in the municipalities of Limoeiro de Anadia, Alagoas State, Brazil (stages 30 to 34) and Macaíba, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil (stage 35 to 39), had an elliptical elongated body in dorsal view and truncated snout in lateral view. The position of the oral disk is anterior, and the tooth row formula is 1/2.…”

“…Those tadpoles differ from the tadpoles that we describe as they have an oval body in dorsal view, eyes directed laterally, nostrils shape oval, lower jaw sheath "V" shaped and dorsal fin with acute emergence angle originating from the tail-body junction. The tadpoles described by Dubeux et al (2020) present an ovoid body in dorsal view, an acuminate snout in lateral view, eyes directed laterally and dorsal fin originating in the body-tail junction.…”

“…The population from Nova Itapirema, São Paulo State, Brazil, described by Rossa-Feres & Nomura (2006), had a depressed globular body in lateral view, oval body in dorsal view, sloped snout in lateral view, eyes directed laterally and anteroventral oral disc. The tadpoles described by Dubeux et al (2020), collected in the municipality of Macaíba, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil (stages 36 to 40), differ by the oval snout in lateral view and the oral disc positioned anteroventrally.…”

Herpetofauna of Matas de Água Azul, an Atlantic Forest remnant in Serra do Mascarenhas, Pernambuco state, Brazil

“…Studies that aim to catalog the diversity and distribution of amphibian and reptile species in the BSR Pernambuco are restricted to punctual and short-term inventories, mostly in forest remnants close to urbanized areas (e.g., Santana et al 2004, Roberto et al 2017, Melo et al 2018, Dubeux et al 2020a. Despite this, 79 species of amphibians and 196 species of reptiles are currently registered for the BSR Pernambuco, of which 23 are endemic (Moura et al 2016, Almeida et al 2016, Costa & Bérnils 2018, Mesquita et al 2018, Dubeux et al 2020b.…”