Reproductive behaviour of the threatened rusted frog Telmatobius rubigo

GASTÓN M.S.

THE HERPETOLOGICAL BULLETIN

British Herpetological Society.

Año: 2022

1473-0928

Telmatobius rubigo is a threatened and fully aquatic frog endemic of the Central Andean Puna ecoregion of Jujuy province in Argentina, at 3,500 - 4,300 m asl. Here, I present novel data on the reproductive behaviour of T. rubigo related to amplexus, clutch characteristics, comments on developmental stages of embryos, and the reproductive mode of the species. I observed an axillary amplexus of T. rubigo. Egg clutches of T. rubigo were recorded in wet and dry seasons. The difference in clutch sizes reported for the species suggests consecutive laying events of small egg masses that could eventually result in a larger egg mass. In some cases, more than one embryological stage was present in the same egg clutch. Since eggs, adults of both sexes and different stages of tadpole development were observed in both wet and dry seasons, it is suggested that such species reproduce continuously. Further studies are needed to unveil other reproductive aspects of T. rubigo, such as parental care behaviour, suggested by observing males associated with clutches. Because climate change is suggested as a threat to the species, knowing how reproductive behaviour can be affected by climate change and other human-related threats is crucial for developing conservation strategies for the species.