We describe the bufonid gastromyzophorous tadpoles of Rhinella quechua from montane forest streams in Bolivia. Specimens were cleared and stained, and the external morphology, buccopharyngeal structures, and the musculoskeletal system were studied. These tadpoles show a combination of some traits common in Rhinella larvae (e.g., emarginate oral disc with large ventral gap in the marginal papillae, labial tooth row formula 2/3, prenarial ridge, two infralabial papillae, quadratoorbital commissure present, larval otic process absent, mm. mandibulolabialis superior, interhyoideus posterior, and diaphragmatopraecordialis absent, m. subarcualis rectus I composed of three slips), some traits apparently exclusive for the described species of the R. veraguensis group (e.g., second anterior labial tooth row complete, lingual papillae absent, adrostral cartilages present), and some traits that are shared with other gastromyzophorous tadpoles (e.g., enlarged oral disc, short and wide articular process of the palatoquadrate, several muscles inserting on the abdominal sucker). In the context of the substantial taxonomic and nomenclatural changes that the former genus Bufo has undergone, and despite the conspicuous morphological differences related to the presence of an abdominal sucker, the larval morphology of R. quechua supports including it in the genus Rhinella and placing it close to species of the R. veraguensis assemblage.

We revisit species diversity within Oreobates (Anura: Strabomantidae) by combining molecular phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA amphibian barcode fragment with the study of the external morphology of living and preserved specimens. Molecular and morphological evidence support the existence of 23 species within Oreobates, and three additional candidate species (Oreobates sp.

The finding of tadpoles of Rhinella quechua (Huayramayu River, Carrasco National Park, Cochabamba, Bolivia) with oral abnormalities caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis constitutes the first record of this fungal infection reported for Bolivian amphibians. KEY WORDS: Chytridiomycosis · Rhinella quechua · Bolivia Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherDis Aquat Org 82: [161][162][163] 2008 nation. Zoosporangia at different stages were evident in the stratum corneum of keratinized oral disc skin. Mature zoosporangia are usually round, ranging from 7.5 to 10 µm in diameter, with a thin wall (Fig. 2), and contain rounded basophilic zoospores approximately 1 µm in diameter. In some zoosporangia, a discharge tube formed by an evagination of the zoosporangium wall was evident. The empty post-discharge zoosporangia were the most frequently observed stages in the stratum corneum. The zoosporangial morphology matches the descriptions provided in previous works (Berger et al. 1999, Pessier et al. 1999). Hyperkeratosis was not observed in any of the examined specimens. In the other 2 tadpoles (CBG 1502-2 and 1502-3), we failed to identify the chytrid fungus, probably due to the clustered distribution of zoosporangia. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONSThis is the first report of chytridiomycosis in Bolivia. Although some amphibian population declines have been reported in this country (De la Riva 2005) and the presence of chytrid fungus was highly suspected ) and predicted (Ron 2005), until now, the disease had not been diagnosed in any amphibian in the country.The oral disc anomalies found in tadpoles of Rhinella quechua are coincident with those described as indicative of chytridiomycosis (Fellers et al. 2001, Knapp & Morgan 2006. Although oral disc anomalies caused by chytridiomycosis differ from those caused by DDT or corticosterone contamination (Fellers et al. 2001) factors other than chytridiomycosis can affect mouthpart pigmentation (e.g. temperature; Rachowicz 2002) or alter toothrow formation (e.g. development, diet; Altig 2007). For these reasons, histological analysis was performed to confirm the presence of chytridiomycosis.Besides Rhinella quechua, chytridiomycosis has been reported in other closely related new world Bufonidae (R. marina, Daszak et al. 2003; Anaxyrus boreas, Muths et al. 2003; and A. canorus, Green & Kagarise Sherman 2001). Wild populations of R. marina are not declining, even though chytrid fungi can infect and kill individuals (Daszak et al. 2003), but the declines of the 2 species of Anaxyrus in western North America (Carey 1993, Kagarise Sherman & Morton 1993 were related to the fungus (Green & Kagarise Sherman 2001, Muths et al. 2003, Carey et al. 2006). The differential effect that Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has on these species seems to depend on the life history and distribution of the toads (Daszak et al. 2003). While R. marina is a lowland, prolific species that has been introduced worldwide, the 2 Anaxyrus (2006) Emerging infec...

We describe a new species of Hyalinobatrachium from the Amazonian slopes of the Andes in Peru and Bolivia on the basis of morphological, bioacoustic and genetic characteristics. Hyalinobatrachium carlesvilai sp. nov. can be distinguished from other species of Hyalinobatrachium by the combination of the following characters: (1) truncate snout in dorsal and lateral view; (2) white pericardium; (3) enameled dorsal, tarsal and cloacal folds; (4) hand webbing formula III 2 – – 1 + IV; (5) iris cream; (6) advertisement call consisting of a single, frequency-modulated note with a pulsed section followed by a tonal section. The new species had been previously identified as Hyalinobatrachium munozorum and H. bergeri. The advertisement call of the new species was previously assigned to H. bergeri. Here we describe the previously unknown call of Hyalinobatrachium bergeri. Additionally, we study the taxonomic status of H. lemur and H. pellucidum and place the former as synonym of the later. We extend the distribution of H. pellucidum to Departamento Cusco in southern Peru.