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Herein, we provide the first comprehensive amphibian checklist for the State of Tocantins, North of Brazil, based on field sampling, literature data, and specimens deposited in zoological collections. We performed field surveys from 2012 to 2019 in 12 Tocantins municipalities, totaling 376 days of sampling effort. We analyzed 25 papers from the literature and examined 1311 specimens from collections and collected 750 during field surveys. We recorded 90 amphibian species distributed in 12 anurans and two caecilians families. At least seven undescribed species along the state were recorded. We also present new records for 20 species for the state, nine of them corresponding to Amazonian species, four Cerrado endemic, one Caatinga species, and the widely distributed treefrog Boana crepitans; the others five new records comprise undescribed species. Our data also suggest that the Tocantins amphibian composition is not geographically structured in relation to the biomes, since Amazonian, Caatinga, and Cerrado amphibian lineages have their distribution nearly completely overlapped in the state. We propose that this absence of spatial structuration may be a result of two factors (synergetic or not). First, the events of expansion and retraction of the biomes caused by the Quaternary climatic cycles, which may have mixed the populations of species from different biomes causing the notable pattern of overlapped distribution observed here. Second, the forest environments (e.g. gallery and riparian forests) associated to the Araguaia-Tocantins River basins may have acted as historical dispersal corridors for the Amazonian amphibian lineages into the Cerrado of the Tocantins. Despite the sampling effort of the present study, we stress that gaps of information still remain and further field sampling efforts should be performed along the state. Lastly, taxonomic appraisals involving the species with problematic taxonomic status recorded here should be based on multiples lines of evidences (acoustic, molecular, and morphological data), which will render a more accurate view on the Tocantins amphibian diversity. Such data are extremely necessary under the current high rate of habitat loss across the state, since they can be used to guide public policies of conservation.

Biogeographic tools support spatial distribution pattern hypotheses and help to determine priority areas for conservation. Our aim was to verify biogeographic patterns for anurans in three mountain complexes in southeastern Brazil, as well as to discuss the status of species conservation recorded and the biogeographical units evaluated. We selected 16 areas distributed in the Serra da Mantiqueira complex, south of Serra do Espinhaço and Serra da Canastra. We used the occurrence (geographic coordinates) of each species in the localities to determine areas of endemism applying the Endemicity Analysis method. We also tested whether similarity between areas was explained by geographic distance (Multiple Regression on distance Matrices-MRM). The Serra do Itatiaia, Serra da Canastra, Plateau of Poços de Caldas and Serra do Cipó were the areas that presented the highest number of species restricted to them. Through the Endemicity Analysis, we identified four areas of endemism with higher scores. The MRM revealed that the geographic distance explained 41% of species dissimilarity between areas. Most of the endemic species from these areas have inaccurate conservation statuses (data deficient or unevaluated). These results highlight the need for greater research efforts towards understanding species restricted by distribution, as well as the priority in conserving these endemic areas.

Based on concordant differences in male advertisement call, tadpole morphology, and absence of haplotype sharing in the barcoding 16S mitochondrial DNA, we describe here a new species of spotted leaf frog of the genus Phasmahyla from Atlantic Forest, State of Rio de Janeiro, Southeast Brazil. The new species is most similar to P. cochranae (type locality) and P. spectabilis (type locality). It differs from these species by the size of the calcar, moderate-sized body (snout-vent length 30.4–34.4 mm in adult eight males), and in the advertisement call. The tadpoles of Phasmahyla lisbella sp. nov. differ from P. exilis, P. spectabilis, P. timbo, P. guttata and P. jandaia because they do not have row of teeth in the anterior part; differ from P. cruzi by the shape of the anterior end of the oral disc. Through genetic data (phylogenetic distance and haplotype genealogy) we diagnosed the new species where the genetic divergences among its congeners is about 3–6% in a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene, which is above the threshold typically characterizing distinct species of anurans. However, the new species can be distinguished from other congeneric species based on an integrative approach (molecular, bioacoustics, larval, and adult morphology).

Agonistic behaviour and sound production were described for captive Gaidropsarus mediterraneus, a shore-dwelling gadoid. Thump-like sounds were produced during agonistic interactions, which involved disputes over access to shelter sites. 1996 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles

We present a list of the anuran amphibians from municipality of Barão de Monte Alto, state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. This region is part of the remaining Atlantic Forest and the studied environments are represented by forest patches and open habitats. We recorded 29 anuran species, many of these typical and/or endemic to the Atlantic Forest. None of the species registered was considered under threat of extinction in state, national or international red-lists. It is worth noting, however, the presence of the tree frogs Dendropsophus pseudomeridianus, the first record of this species in the state of Minas Gerais, and D. bipunctatus, marking its expanded distribution in various locations of Minas Gerais. The present list examines zoogeography and conservation of anurans in the Brazilian southeast and broadens the knowledge of the anuran fauna in this region.

Anurans emit a variety of acoustic signals in different behavioral contexts during the breeding season. The release call is a signal produced by the frog when it is inappropriately clasped by another frog. In the family Phyllomedusidae, this call type is known only for Pithecophus ayeaye. Here we describe the release call of four species: Phyllomedusa bahiana, P. sauvagii, Pithecopus rohdei, and P. nordestinus, based on recordings in the field. The release calls of these four species consist of a multipulsed note. Smaller species of the Pithecopus genus (P. ayeaye, P. rohdei and P. nordestinus), presented shorter release calls (0.022-0.070 s), with higher dominant frequency on average (1508( .8-1651, when compared to the bigger Phyllomedusa (P. bahiana and P. sauvagii) (0.062-0.107 s; 798.7-1071.4 Hz). For phyllomedusid species, the release call might indicate a phylogenetic signal, because species of the same genus have similar acoustic traits.

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