A comparative study of the extracutaneous pigmentary system in three anuran amphibian species evaluated during the breeding season.

The present investigation examined the extracutaneous pigmentation pattern of three species of anuran amphibians, Dendropsophus nanus, Physalaemus cuvieri, and Rhinella schneideri, during the course of their breeding seasons. Pigmentation intensity in the different organs was graded on a 4-category scale, in which category 0 refers to organs without pigment and category 3 refers to intensely pigmented organs, with 2 intermediate stages of progressively stronger pigmentation. Rhinella schneideri showed testicular pigmentation, with intra-specific variation (categories 0 and 1). In P. cuvieri the pigmentation in the lungs varied in time: all the animals showed pigmentation (category 1) at the beginning of the breeding season, and as the season progressed the absence of pigments became the most common pattern. In the liver of the first animals collected, the pigment intensity was high (category 2) with many iridophores present, but in the last specimens collected no iridophores were found. The variation in D. nanus occurred in the kidneys, where animals collected at the beginning of the season did not show pigmentation. Renal veins displayed few melanocytes (category 1); animals collected at the end of the season showed more pigmentation in the kidneys (category 2), whereas in the renal veins the intensity remained the same. The changes observed in the extracutaneous pigment system in some organs, during the reproductive period, may be due to physiological alterations or may represent a species-specific characteristic.

The advertisement call of Dendropsophus nahdereri (Anura, Hylidae, Dendropsophini).

The Dendropsophus marmoratus group is composed of eight species known for their explosive breeding habits and morphologically characterized by a bark-like dorsum, warty skin around the lower lips and an extremely large vocal sac. Within this group, D. nahdereri is the only species with distribution restricted to the southern region of Brazil. Apart from the original description and its tadpole, nothing else is known about this species. Using a mechanistic definition of note, we describe the advertisement call of D. nahdereri, which is similar to the advertisement calls of other species of the group and frequently has "final pulseclusters" as defined in the text.

Seasonal testicular changes in Dendropsophus minutus Peters, 1872 (Anura, Hylidae)

The reproductive cycle in anurans may be either continuous or discontinuous. These differences may be connected to seasonal climate changes and/or to anthropic activity. Forty adult male individuals of the Dendropsophus minutus species were collected during one year, in the municipality of Chapada dos Guimaraes (Mato Grosso, Brazil). The testicles were studied under light and transmission electron microscopy. No variations were observed when the diameter of the seminiferous tubules and the thickness of the interstitial tissue were studied. However, changes in spermatogenesis were conspicuous and indicated that the reproductive cycle of D. minutus in Chapada dos Guimaraes is discontinuous and seems related to variations in air temperature and rainfall.

A New Species of the Scinax perpusillus Group (Anura: Hylidae) from Espirito Santo, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Advertisement call of Scinax littoralis and S. angrensis (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae), with notes on the reproductive activity of S. littoralis

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A new species of Hypsiboas from the Atlantic forest of southeastern Brazil (Amphibia : Anura : Hylidae)

We describe a new species of Hypsiboas of the Hypsiboas pulchellus species group from highland streams of the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. Vocalizations, egg-mass, and tadpole are also described. We compared the new species with other species of the Hypsiboas pulchellus species group. The new species is most similar to Hypsiboas semiguttatus, its sister species, and Hypsiboas curupi, from which it differs in advertisement call and larval morphology. We provide information on natural history, phylogenetic relationships, embryos, geographic distribution, and conservation.

THE TADPOLE of PHYSALAEMUS MOREIRAE (ANURA: LEIUPERIDAE)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

New Species of Brachycephalus (Anura: Brachycephalidae) from the Atlantic Rain Forest in São Paulo State, Southeastern Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Comparative larval morphology of eight species of Hypsiboas Wagler (Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae) from Argentina and Uruguay, with a review of the larvae of this genus

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Morphological and Molecular Variation in the Pumpkin Toadlet, Brachycephalus ephippium (Anura: Brachycephalidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Intrageneric Karyotypic Variation in Pseudopaludicola (Anura: Leiuperidae) and Its Taxonomic Relatedness

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A NEW SPECIES of THE BOKERMANNOHYLA MARTINSI GROUP FROM CENTRAL BAHIA, BRAZIL WITH COMMENTS on BOKERMANNOHYLA (ANURA: HYLIDAE)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)