SCINAX GRANULATUS (NCN). REPRODUCTION

DIAZ SEIJAS MARÍA EMILIA; NATALE GUILLERMO SEBASTIAN; GANGENOVA ELENA

HERPETOLOGICAL REVIEW

SSAR

Lugar: Salt Lake City; Año: 2008 vol. 39 p. 342 - 342

0018-084X

 According to bibliographical sources, the reproductive strategy described for the species of genus Scinax agrees with the strategy of most species of Hylinae, which consists of laying egg masses adhered to submerged vegetation (Cei, 1980; Gallardo, 1987; Lavilla & Cei, Lavilla & Rouges, 1992; Duellman & Trueb, 1986). We describe the egg deposition mode of Scinax granulatus in its natural environment.The observations were made in the vicinity of La Plata city, Buenos Aires province, Argentina (36° 01? 05, 68? S; 57° 51? 32,79? W), during the known reproductive season of Scinax granulatus, (from October to February).                                                                                   The description is based on 9 clutches, 4 of which were observed directly in the field and 5 were obtained from amplexing pairs captured in the field and transported to laboratory facilities. After oviposition we noted the spatial arrangement of eggs, and counted between 300-700 eggs in all cases, with pigmented animal pole, 1-mm diameter embryos and 3 mm capsules with jelly coat.    We conclude from our observations that Scinax granulatus disperses its eggs on the bottom of water bodies; eggs are adhered to submerged objects and/or the bottom individually or in small clusters of 2-3 eggs each.                                                                                                          This arrangement of eggs was recorded in all observations, both in the field and under experimental conditions. Consequently, the reproductive behavior of Scinax granulatus is significatively different from that of the remaining species of Hylidae for which oviposition mode is known. To our knowledge, this is the first report of this egg deposition mode for a species of Hylidae.