Below the waterline: cryptic diversity of aquatic pipid frogs (Pipa carvalhoi) unveiled through an integrative taxonomy approach

Uncovering the rich amphibian fauna of two semideciduous forest fragments in southwestern Bahia, Brazil

Fauna inventories reduce biodiversity knowledge gaps by providing comprehensive data on species distribution, richness, and abundance. Furthermore, they identify undocumented species and enhance understanding of ecosystem dynamics and conservation needs. The richness and abundance of amphibian species were studied in two Semideciduous Seasonal Forest areas in the municipalities of Potiraguá (Serra Azul) and Itarantim (Serra do Mandim) in southwestern Bahia, Brazil. Active visual and acoustic surveys were conducted in 24 forest interior transects, two stream transects, and two permanent ponds investigated in the study area. Opportunistic encounters during team movements were also recorded. The richness was 46 amphibian species distributed in 14 families and 26 genera. Approximately half of the species were shared between the two areas, while 11 species were exclusive to Serra Azul and another nine were found only in Serra do Mandim. Cluster analysis for 42 locations in Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, and Cerrado, in a presence/absence matrix with 216 species, revealed that the composition of the amphibians found in Serra do Mandim and Serra Azul is similar to other sampled locations in the northeastern region of Minas Gerais, close to the study site, which are considered transitional between the Atlantic Forest and the Caatinga. Our results demonstrate that the remaining forest fragments in the region, although small and isolated, still sustain a high richness of amphibians with species restricted to the Atlantic Forest and Bahia, such as Bahiusbilineatus, Ololygonstrigilata, Aplastodiscusweygoldti and Vitreoranaeurygnatha, and others considered typical of the Caatinga, such as Leptodactylustroglodytes and Physalaemuscicada. Additionally, we sampled potential new species, filled occurrence gaps, and expanded the geographical range of Pseudisfusca.

Repetitive DNA Mapping in Five Genera of Tree Frogs (Amphibia: Anura) from the Atlantic Forest: New Highlights on Genomic Organization in Hylidae

INTRODUCTION

The tribes Cophomantini, Scinaxini, and Dendropsophini are anurans that belong to Hylidae, with wide distribution in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The taxonomy and systematics of this family remain in a state of ongoing revision. Previous cytogenetic analyses of genera Boana, Bokermannohyla, Ololygon, Scinax, and Dendropsophus described some karyotypic characters such as conventional staining, C-banding and NORs, and FISH with specific probes.

METHODS

This study describes for the first time the karyotypes of four species: Bokermannohyla ibitipoca, Ololygon luizotavioi, Dendropsophus bipunctatus, and Dendropsophus ruschii. Furthermore, we map CA(15) and CAT(10) microsatellite sites for the aforementioned species and six more species from the same genera for insight into the chromosomal evolution within the subfamily Hyalinae.

RESULTS

B. ibitipoca and O. luizotavioi had 2n = 24 and karyotypic formulas 18m + 4sm + 2st and 8m + 12sm + 4st, while D. bipunctatus and D. ruschii showed 2n = 30 and karyotypic formulas 12m + 12sm + 4st + 2t and 10m + 10sm + 6st + 4t, respectively. The diploid numbers and karyotypic formulas revealed here follow the previously reported trend for Hylidae, except B. ibitipoca has a particularity of eight metacentric chromosomes, more than what is commonly found in species of this genus. The microsatellites probes CA(15) and CAT(10) had markings accumulated in blocks in the centromeric, pericentromeric, and terminal regions that were more specific for some species, as well as markings scattered along the chromosomes. We present a comprehensive review table of current data on cytogenetics of these genera.

CONCLUSION

Our findings showed that the karyotypes of the hylids studied here majority fit the postulated conserved diploid number (2n = 24) and morphological chromosome patterns, while the mapping of the microsatellites enabled us to detect differences between species that share similar chromosomal morphologies.

The herpetofauna of priority highland areas for conservation of the Caatinga in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil

Abstract The Brazilian Caatinga has already lost extensive areas of original vegetation, thus it becomes imperative to perform fauna inventories within this region to fill geographical sampling gaps. Herein, we present a taxonomic list of the herpetofauna of a mountain chain located in the central zone of Rio Grande do Norte (RN) state whose region includes two priority areas for conservation of the Caatinga: “CA087 – Serra de Santana” in the west, and “CA078 – Nascente do Potengi” in the east. The sampling was carried out using methods of visual searching, pitfall traps with drift fences, specimens rescued during vegetation suppression activities in wind energy projects, occasional encounters, and third-party records. We recorded 19 amphibian species and 53 reptile species (23 lizards, 24 snakes, five amphisbaenians and one chelonian). About half of the recorded species have distributions entirely or mostly in the Caatinga. The mountain range sampled in this study harbors virtually all species found in nearby lowlands of the “sertaneja” depression of RN state, plus some relevant species with relictual distributions in the Caatinga, highlighting the importance of these highland areas for conservation of the Caatinga herpetofauna.