Breeding biology of the leaf frog, Phyllomedusa boliviana (Anura, Hylidae)

VAIRA, MARCOS

AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA

Brill

Lugar: Netherlands; Año: 2001 vol. 22 p. 421 - 429

0173-5373

Spawning behavior, clutch characteristics, and egg deposition site of the leaf frog, Phyllomedusa boliviana, were described at an arti. cial pool in a subtropical montane forest of Jujuy, Argentina. Mating behavior was observed during the wet season (November-January) in unmarked frogs on eight separate occasions. A prespawning period characterized by repeated struggles between amplexed and unamplexed males for possession of the female was observed lasting from 2 to 4 hours. The entire sequence of leaf folding and extrusion of both eggless capsules and eggs occurred in less than 30 minutes. After the pair separated, the female remained at the top of the leaf nest extruding a mass of eggless capsules leaving the nest 22-70 min later. Egg masses were deposited every month of the breeding season on almost every plant species at the pool perimeter, but P. boliviana appeared to choose certain species. Deposition heights between 5 and 35 cm occurred most frequently and heights above 100 cm were uncommon. The results of this study indicate that P. boliviana is able to breed in artificial ponds, information that could be useful in the management of altered habitats.