In this paper we present information on fluorescent frogs that will be of use to interested researchers. We describe practical details and provide new data on the phenomenon in Boana punctata, while reporting for the first time its occurrence in the closely related B. atlantica. Both species leave persistent fluorescent marks on the substrate in field and lab conditions, the biological role of which, if any, remains unknown. We discuss briefly the heuristic criteria employed to identify other anuran species most likely to be fluorescent—at least in a similar way to that described in B. atlantica and B. punctata—and provide a list of 281 species in seven families (Arthroleptidae, Centrolenidae, Hemiphractidae, Hylidae, Hyperoliidae, Mantellidae, and Rhacophoridae) that should be tested for the occurrence of fluorescence. Finally, we discuss some general aspects related to anuran coloration, fluorescence, and criteria to assess its biological role, if any, commenting on the role of pteridins and hypothetical situations where these could lead to fluorescence in a different way than how we see it in B. atlantica and B. punctata.

We describe the external larval morphology of the microendemic leptodactylid frog Crossodactylodes itambe from the ‘campo rupestre’ of the Espinhaço Mountain Range in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The species identity of the only previously described Crossodactylodes tadpole cannot be confirmed, making this the first description of a tadpole of known taxonomic identity for the genus. The tadpole of C. itambe differs from the previously described Crossodactylodes tadpole in total length, origin of dorsal fin, development of tail musculature, spiracle position, absence of inner wall of spiracle and shape, and direction of vent tube. Characters such as narrow lateral gaps of marginal papillae and the distinct medial serration on the oral face of the upper jaw are proposed as putative synapomorphies for the genus. Tadpoles of C. itambe occur exclusively in the axils of the rupicolous bromeliad Vriesea medusa. Observation on the natural history, eggs, and larvae are also reported.

Historically there has been taxonomic confusion among some Lygophis and Erythrolamprus species (previously belonging to the genus Liophis) due to their high similarity in color and general body form, in addition to a lack of understanding of their natural history and distribution. Lygophis anomalus is a common snake thought to be widely distributed in the Pampas and Chaco regions of Argentina, Uruguay, southern Brazil and Paraguay. While studying a sample of Lygophis anomalus specimens from throughout its distributional range, we observed that those from several northern provinces in Argentina were misidentified. The aim of this study is to clarify the area of occurrence of Lygophis anomalus, by combining a revision of the available literature and traditional morphology (body measures and lepidosis). Using only confirmed records of L. anomalus, we performed ecological niche modelling (ENM) as a means of corroborating our results. After analyzing body measures and lepidosis, the specimens from Córdoba (mostly above 600 masl) and San Luis provinces were identified as Lygophis vanzolinii. Individuals from Chaco, Formosa and Misiones were identified as Eryhtrolamprus almadensis and finally, snakes collected in Jujuy, Salta and Tucumán were identified as E. ceii. ENM recovered low values of suitability occurrence (< 0.5) for the species in Paraguay and the Argentine provinces of Chaco, Formosa, Jujuy, Misiones, Salta, San Luis and Tucumán, suggesting that specimens from these localities were incorrectly identified as L. anomalus. Despite the fact that the only known reference specimen for L. anomalus in Paraguay (but without specific locality data) is confirmed to belong to this species, ENM as well as exhaustive field work suggest that L. anomalus does not occur in the aforementioned country. Our results indicate that Lygophis anomalus distribution is restricted to Uruguay, southern Brazil and the Argentinian provinces of Buenos Aires, Corrientes, Córdoba, Entre Ríos, and Santa Fe.

Acoustic signals are the main communication mechanisms in anuran amphibians. Herein is described the vocal repertoire, call variation, and calling site of Boana jaguariaivensis from a population of the Tibagi, Paraná State, southern Brazil. Seventeen males were recorded in December 2012 and February 2013. Males of B. jaguariaivensis used shrubs, herbs and grass as calling sites, and the eggs were deposited on branches in the water body. The advertisement call was composed of 1–4 notes with harmonic structure. Call B was composed of a single, pulsed note with harmonic structure. The distress call was composed of a single, pulsed harmonic note. All spectral parameters had static properties, whereas all temporal parameters had dynamic properties. Also, all acoustic properties varied more between than within males. The variation observed in the acoustic parameters of B. jaguariaivensis advertisement calls was not influenced by body size or air temperature. Data on vocal repertoires and factors that can change acoustic parameters are important for progress in research on the taxonomy, phylogeny and evolution of anuran amphibians.

Tree cultivation is widely stimulated due to the provision of environmental services by sequestering atmospheric carbon, but forestry is a potential danger to biodiversity, mainly when cultivation replaces originally non-forested landscapes. Due to the rapid expansion of afforestation in grassland ecosystems, we used environmental descriptors and structure of amphibian and reptile communities as a tool to assess the possible effects of forestry on wildlife. We used pitfall traps with drift fences in Eucalyptus afforestation and native grasslands of the Pampa biome from southern Brazil. Amphibians and reptile species richness was lower in afforestation than in native grasslands. Furthermore, the reptile community found in afforestation was a poor subset of the community recorded in native grasslands. Indeed, the structure of communities for both amphibians and reptiles in afforestation was highly dissimilar from the native grasslands, with major environmental descriptors that influenced this difference being related to the structure of undergrowth vegetation, incident light, and sodium concentration in soil. Amphibians and reptiles proved to be an efficient tool to assess the potential impacts effects of afforestation/forestation since the replacement of natural grassland ecosystems by eucalypt afforestation caused detectable negative effects on the diversity of herpetofauna. Biodiversity conservation strategies in non-forest ecosystems are urgently needed and should encompass policies to restrict the expansion of forestry on the remaining native grasslands.

A limiting factor in habitat selection is the presence of predators in the environment. Schooling behavior is one of the strategies that allows organisms to become established in specific habitats, even when predators are present. Although numerous reports about schooling behavior in tadpoles of Bufonidae exist, few experimental results on the subject are available. We conducted an experiment to study anti-predatory schooling behavior in tadpoles of Rhinella ornata. A subject (only one tadpole per experiment) got to choose among treatments with other tadpoles (promoting grouping), places with only water, places with dead tadpoles and dead dragonflies larvae chemical cues (simulating predators), and a mixture of all treatments. We found that individual tadpoles of R. ornata detected the chemical cues and tended to flee. The initial preference of escaping to places without aggregations of other tadpoles has not been reported for Bufonidae. Our results do not rule out schooling in R. ornata, but highlight the occurrence of an initial behavior under stressful predatory contexts.

Areas of endemism are central to biogeography. They are used as study units by analytical biogeographic methods and as a criterion to identify areas for conservation. Liolaemidae is one of the most diverse groups of lizards in terms of species richness and environmental diversity. Over the last decade, the number of new species recorded for the genera Liolaemus and Phymaturus has increased exponentially. Most of them have restricted distributions, low population density, and high extinction risk. These features make this family one of the main environmental components of the ecosystems they inhabit. Furthermore, it has been long recognized that Liolaemidae species, especially within Phymaturus, are endemic, but that recognition was made intuitively and mostly equating endemic with “having a restricted distribution.” In this study, we provide methodological confirmation of the high degree of endemism of the species of Liolaemus and Phymaturus, with endemic species defined as those “having congruent distributions.” Our goals are to analyze the distribution data of 289 species of Liolaemidae and identify areas of endemism using the software NDM/VNDM. With cells of 0.5° × 0.5°, we identified 27 consensus areas and recovered 118 endemic species (41.11%). These endemic areas presented patterns of repeated taxonomic groups. We also found that some areas of endemism were recovered with different cell sizes, defined by almost the same endemic species. According to the hypothesis of vicariance biogeography, barriers (physical or ecological) fragmented ancestral distributions of taxa. Therefore, the areas of endemism proposed in this study might have been the result of historical events that fragmented the ancestral distribution of the family, giving rise to present day distribution patterns. The identification of biogeographic patterns enables us to understand ecosystems from a historical perspective and generate important information for their conservation. As such, the areas of endemism of a family can be an important and relevant tool to assess priorities for conservation of biodiversity.

Gymnophthalmidae is a Neotropical family that comprises small- to medium-sized lizards and a huge diversity of morphologies and habitats. Although they have been broadly targeted in several systematics studies, the knowledge of their reproductive biology is still poorly known, especially for fossorial species like Calyptommatus leiolepis, Nothobachia ablephara, and Procellosaurinus tetradactylus, sympatric species from the dune fields at São Francisco River, Bahia, Brazil. We analyzed gonads of 388 specimens of C. leiolepis, 180 of N. ablephara, and 47 of P. tetradactylus from Alagoado sand dunes, Bahia. Females are larger than males in all species and there is no sexual dimorphism in head shape. The three species undergo extended, possibly continuous, reproduction. Variation of testes volume was observed only in C. leiolepis, with lower values between August and December; however, sperm production was detected within this period. Clutch size always comprised two eggs and there was no correlation between egg size and snout—vent length. Only C. leiolepis presented evidence of multiple clutches. The incubation period of the three species is relatively short with early maturation, which probably occurs in the first year of life. Temperature and relative humidity are not restrictive to reproductive activity but are related to the reproductive peaks of females in C. leiolepis and N. ablephara.

Gymnophthalmidae é uma família Neotropical que compreende lagartos de pequeno e médio porte e apresenta uma ampla diversidade de morfologias e habitats. Embora amplamente incluído em diversos estudos sistemáticos, o conhecimento de sua biologia reprodutiva é ainda bastante limitado, especialmente para espécies fossoriais, como Calyptommatus leiolepis, Nothobachia ablephara e Procellosaurinus tetradactylus espécies simpátricas dos campos de dunas do rio São Francisco, Bahia, Brasil. Foram analisadas gônadas de 388 espécimes de C. leiolepis, 180 espécimes de N. ablephara e 47 espécimes de P. tetradactylus provenientes do campo de dunas de Alagoado, Bahia. As fêmeas são maiores que os machos nas três espécies e não há dimorfismo sexual na forma da cabeça. As três espécies apresentaram reprodução bastante prolongada, possivelmente contínua. Foi observada variação do volume testicular apenas em C. leiolepis com valores mais baixos entre agosto e dezembro, mas a produção de esperma foi detectada dentro deste período. O tamanho da ninhada é fixo em dois ovos e não há correlação entre o tamanho dos ovos com o comprimento rostro cloacal das fêmeas. Apenas C. leiolepis mostrou evidências de múltiplas desovas. O período de incubação das três espécies é relativamente curto e a maturação é precoce, provavelmente ocorrendo no primeiro ano de vida. As condições de temperatura e umidade relativa do ar não são restritivas à atividade reprodutiva, mas estão relacionadas com os picos reprodutivos das fêmeas de C. leiolepis e N. ablephara. As fêmeas são maiores que os machos e não há dimorfismo sexual na forma da cabeça.