Sexual size dimorphism in relation to age and growth in Hypsiboas cordobae (Anura: Hylidae) from Córdoba, Argentina

OTERO, MANUEL A.; BARAQUET, MARIANA; POLLO, FAVIO, E.; GRENAT, PABLO R.; SALAS, NANCY E.; MARTINO, ADOLFO L.

Herpetological Conservation and Biology

HCB

Año: 2017 vol. 12 p. 141 - 148

1931-7603

Mostanurans exhibit sexual size dimorphism (SSD). This morphological variation between the sexesmay be attributed to different ages at maturity, growth rate, or longevity. We present the first data on age structure andgrowth pattern of Hypsiboas cordobae usingskeletochronology, and analyze SSD considering age-specificdifferences in body size based on 71 individuals. Snout-ventlength (SVL) and body mass (BM) were significantly different between the sexes.Females were larger and heavier than males, but mean age between adult malesand females wasnot significantly different. Minimum age at sexual maturity, longevity and potential reproductive lifespan did not differ between the sexes. Female SVL and BM at sexual maturity weresignificantly larger than that of males. ANCOVA revealed significant sexual differencesin body size and weight. The sexual dimorphism index in body size was 0.0679(SVL) and 0.3621 (BM). von Bertalanffy growth curves showed a similar profile in both sexes,but the growth coefficient was higher in males. Age determination and the von Bertalanffy?s growthmodel for H. cordobaeallowed us to determine SSD and our results mayprovide baseline data on the demographyof H. cordobae