The decline of amphibian populations, particularly frogs, is often cited as an example in support of the claim that Earth is undergoing its sixth mass extinction event. Amphibians seem to be particularly sensitive to emerging diseases (e.g., fungal and viral pathogens), yet the diversity and geographic distribution of infectious agents are only starting to be investigated. Recent work has linked a previously undescribed protist with mass-mortality events in the United States, in which infected frog tadpoles have an abnormally enlarged yellowish liver filled with protist cells of a presumed parasite. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that this infectious agent was affiliated with the Perkinsea: a parasitic group within the alveolates exemplified by Perkinsus sp., a “marine” protist responsible for mass-mortality events in commercial shellfish populations. Using small subunit (SSU) ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing, we developed a targeted PCR protocol for preferentially sampling a clade of the Perkinsea. We tested this protocol on freshwater environmental DNA, revealing a wide diversity of Perkinsea lineages in these environments. Then, we used the same protocol to test for Perkinsea-like lineages in livers of 182 tadpoles from multiple families of frogs. We identified a distinct Perkinsea clade, encompassing a low level of SSU rDNA variation different from the lineage previously associated with tadpole mass-mortality events. Members of this clade were present in 38 tadpoles sampled from 14 distinct genera/phylogroups, from five countries across three continents. These data provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence that Perkinsea-like protists infect tadpoles across a wide taxonomic range of frogs in tropical and temperate environments, including oceanic islands.

Abstract:We report the results of a seven-year survey of the anurans of Marambaia, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil, where 24 species were recorded. The species represented nine families: Hylidae (10 species), Bufonidae (3), Leptodactylidae (3), Hylodidae (2), Microhylidae (2), Craugastoridae (1), Centrolenidae (1), Cycloramphidae (1), and Leiuperidae (1). We also present notes on the natural history and habitat usage by the anurans.

Among vertebrates, anuran amphibians represent the highest number of species associated with bromeliads and possess a range of ecological, behavioral, and morphological specializations to life in these plants. Despite the importance of bromeliads as biodiversity amplifiers, and their diversity in some habitats, studies of the relationship between anurans and these plants are scarce in Brazil. Here, we investigated the way anurans select and use bromeliads in a threatened coastal habitat. We analyzed data from 23 standardized samples of the anurans associated with the bromeliad Neoregelia cruenta in the Restinga de Maricá, State of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil. We found nine anuran species using these bromeliads, representing the highest richness reported for a Brazilian restinga. We identified a general pattern of bromeliad usage, where plants located at the edges of scrub patches (exposed to the sun) were more frequently occupied by anurans than those located more to the center (in the shade). There is strong evidence of an active selective process based on the quality of the water stored in the rosette, which differs between plants depending on their position in the scrub patch. Although the number of individuals varied during the period of study, the frequency of bromeliads used was constant, indicating that plant occupation follows a regular pattern throughout the year. Furthermore, the high frequency of bromeliads used by anurans during the whole year highlights the importance of considering these plants in developing conservation programs concerning the protection of anurans.Abstract in Portuguese is available at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/btp.

We investigate the composition of anuran communities of land-bridge islands off the southeastern coast of Brazil. These islands provide natural long-term experiments on the effects of fragmentation in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (BAF). We hypothesize that Pleistocene sea-level changes, in combination with other abiotic variables such as area and habitat diversity, has affected anuran species richness and community composition on these islands. Data from the literature and collections databases were used to produce species lists for eight land-bridge islands and for the mainland adjacent to the islands. We assess the effects of area, number of breeding habitats and distance to the mainland upon anuran species richness on land-bridge islands. Additionally we use nestedness analysis to quantify the extent to which the species on smaller and less habitat-diverse islands correspond to subsets of those on larger and more diverse ones. We found that area has both direct and indirect effects on anuran species richness on land-bridge islands, irrespective of distance to the mainland. However, on islands with comparable sizes, differences in species richness can be attributed to the number and quality of breeding habitats. Anuran communities on these islands display a nested pattern, possibly caused by selective extinction related to habitat loss. Common lowland pond-breeders were conspicuous by their absence. In the BAF, the conservation of fragments with a high diversity of breeding habitats could compensate for the generally negative effect of small area upon species richness. We suggest that sea-level changes have an important role in shaping composition of anuran species on coastal communities.

We carried out a survey of reptiles and amphibians within Afromontane forest and woodland slopes of three inselbergs in northern Mozambique (Mount Mabu, Mount Namuli, and Mount Ribáuè). A total of 56 species (22 amphibians and 34 reptiles) were recorded during the current survey. Our findings substantially increase the number of herpetofaunal species recorded from these mountains (Mount Ribáuè 59%, Mount Mabu 37%, and Mount Namuli 11% of the total species), including one new country record and several putative new species. An updated checklist of the herpetofauna of these mountains is presented.