Maternal provisioning by foam-nesting frogs of the genus Physalaemus (Anura, Leptodactylidae) in contrasting environments

Author(s)

Pupin, Nadya C. ^[1] ; Haddad, Celio F. B. ^[1] ; Prado, Cynthia P. A. ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Inst Biociencias, Dept Zool, Campus Rio Claro, CP 199, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet, Dept Morfol & Fisiol Anim, Campus Jaboticabal, BR-14884900 Jaboticabal, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Amphibia-Reptilia; v. 39, n. 1, p. 120-125, 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

In some environments prevailing conditions are unpredictable, thus anuran species use bet-hedging strategies and produce eggs of varied sizes. We investigated whether four species of Physalaemus (two from open, two from forest habitats) exhibit bet-hedging strategies, and if intra-clutch variation in egg size is greater for species that breed in the more unpredictable ponds of open habitats. All species studied adopted the bet-hedging strategy, with intra-clutch variation in egg size regardless of the environment; however, we found greater intra-clutch variation in the two species from open areas. The lower variation in egg-size found within forest habitats may be explained by the more stable environments that forest ponds provide for anuran eggs/embryos. Future studies in a phylogenetic context are needed to confirm the patterns detected here. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/50741-7 - Diversity and conservation of Brazilian amphibians
• Grantee: Célio Fernando Baptista Haddad
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 09/12013-4 - Reproductive ecology of anuran amphibians: an evolutionary perspective
• Grantee: Cynthia Peralta de Almeida Prado
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants