The organization of the lek system: sharing of breeding sites among males of Boana albopunctata (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae)

• Grant number: 25/10686-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Animal Behavior
• Principal Investigator: Fábio Perin de Sá
• Grantee: Jéssica Victória Aparecido
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/10639-5 - Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, AP.CEPID

Abstract

Mating systems in animals are usually characterized by the partners involved, courtship behaviors, and parental care. However, how resources are shared among members of a social organization and the individual strategies used to maximize reproductive success are also important aspects. Anuran amphibians, a group highly susceptible to climate change, stand out for their social complexity, making naturalistic studies essential for conservation strategies. In many species, aggregated reproduction favors reproductive success. The formation of choruses attracts females, with males establishing territories and hierarchies. The Hylidae family includes species with a wide variety of reproductive behaviors. Many hylids with prolonged breeding seasons organize lek mating systems, with males distributed in arenas. Female choice is based on both males traits and the characteristics of their territories. This project aims to elucidate how reproductive sites are shared among males of Boana albopunctata, a prolonged-breeding hylid common in the Cerrado and transitional areas of Rio Claro, São Paulo. The goals include investigating: (i) correlations among male traits - such as reproductive tactic (caller or satellite), body size and mass (body condition index), and age (via skeletochronology); (ii) correlations among traits of reproductive sites - such as substrate type, distance from water, height, and light intensity; (iii) correlations between male traits and site characteristics; and (iv) correlations of air temperature and rainfall with site characteristics. The project will allow us to infer how different strategies may contribute to individual reproductive success.