Reproductive biology of Leptodactylus fuscus (Anura, Leptodactylidae) in the subtropical climate, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The aim of this study was to characterize, for the central region of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, the reproductive biology of Leptodactylus fuscus (Schneider, 1799), based on the analysis of gonadal development of males and females, reproductive effort, size-fecundity relationships, and occurrence of sexual dimorphism in body size. Mature individuals were found from October 1996 to February 1997 and from October 1997 to December 1997. The highest input of juveniles in the population was recorded in March 1997. There was a positive and significant correlation between the number of mature individuals and the mean monthly temperature. The population did not present sexual dimorphism in size. Males presented significant correlation only between snout-vent length and testes length. All females had oocytes at four different maturation stages and there were no significant correlations regarding size-fecundity variables. The correlation between ovarian size factor and females snout-vent length was not significant either. The main difference between this population and those that inhabit tropical climate was that temperature was responsible for stimulating the reproduction activity, instead of rainfall. KEYWORDS.Amphibians, reproduction, subtropical climate. RESUMO. Biologia reprodutiva deLeptodactylus fuscus (Anura, Leptodactylidae) em clima subtropical, Rio Grande de Sul. O objetivo do estudo foi caracterizar, para a região central do Rio Grande do Sul, a biologia reprodutiva de Leptodactylus fuscus (Schneider, 1799) a partir da análise do desenvolvimento gonadal de machos e fêmeas, esforço reprodutivo, relações de tamanhofecundidade e existência de dimorfismo sexual em relação ao tamanho corporal. Indivíduos maduros foram encontrados de outubro/ 1996 a fevereiro/1997 e outubro/1997 a dezembro/1997. Em março de 1997, houve o maior acréscimo de indivíduos jovens na população. Houve correlação positiva e significativa entre o número de indivíduos maduros coletados e a temperatura média mensal. A população não apresentou dimorfismo sexual. Para os machos, houve correlação significativa apenas entre comprimento corporal e comprimento dos testículos. Todas as fêmeas possuíam ovócitos em quatro diferentes estágios de maturação e não foi observada nenhuma correlação significativa entre as variáveis de tamanho-fecundidade. A correlação entre fator tamanho do ovário e comprimento corporal também não foi significativa. A principal diferença entre esta população e as que habitam clima tropical foi o efeito da temperatura como estímulo da atividade reprodutiva, ao invés de chuva.

Influence of rainfall and temperature on the spermatogenesis of Leptodactylus macrosternum (Anura: Leptodactylidae)

“…In our findings, the cell characteristics of L. Macrosternum, and the process of spermatogenesis, with variation in the quantities of cysts and especially the spermatozoa within the locules, are similar to L. podicipinus (Prado et al 2002), L. chaquensis and L. podicipinus (Ferreira et al 2009), Leptodactylus fuscus (Schneider, 1799) (Maragno and Cechin 2009) and L. chaquensis (Villagra et al 2014), demonstrating an organizational pattern of germ cells dependent on the seasonal variation of each region.…”

Reproductive aspects of Dendropsophus sanborni (Anura, Hylidae) in northeastern Argentina

“…In contrast, anurans of temperate climates are dependent on a combination of temperature and rainfall and have seasonal breeding activity (Duelman & Trueb, 1994;berToluci & roDrigues, 2002;goTTsberger & gruber, 2004). The reproductive biology of Neotropical anurans has been widely studied in Brazil by different authors in different species such as Leptodactylus fuscus (maragno & cecHin, 2009), Lysapsus limellus (PeralTa De almeiDa PraDo & ueTanabaro, 2000), Scinax fuscomarginatus (ToleDo & HaDDaD, 2005), Phylomedusa azurea and Phylomedusa sauvagi (roDrigues et al, 2007). Several reproductive aspects in some northeastern Argentinean anurans have been studied in the following species: Pseudopaludicola boliviana (Duré et al, 2004), Scinax nasicus (Hamman et al, 2009), Leptodactylus chaquensis (scHaefer et al, 2006, Rhinella bergi and Argenteohyla siemersi pederseni (cajaDe et al, 2010).…”

Structure of a Caatinga anuran assemblage in Northeastern Brazil

“…This difference may be caused by regional differences on microhabitats and microclimate or even by the explosive reproductive behaviour of these species (Arzabe, 1999;Vieira et al, 2009;Wells, 2007). All species in this study are widely distributed, even throughout other biomes, although some species, such as H. raniceps, S. x-signatus and L. macrosternum, may represent species complexes (Caldwell and Araújo, 2005;Frost, 2010;Maragno and Cechin, 2009).…”