Life cycle phenology of the emerald frog Hylorina sylvatica bell 1843 (anura, batrachylidae) in a semi-permanent wetland in northwestern Patagonia

ÚBEDA, C A; MONCADA M; JARA, F G

Boletin Chileno de Herpetologia

Red Chilena de Herpetologia (RECH)

Año: 2022 vol. 2022 p. 1 - 14

Hylorina sylvatica is an anuran endemic to the austral temperate forests of Chile and Argentina, whose biology and ecology are poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to describe the reproductive phenology and embryonic and larval development of H. sylvatica. Periodic samplings were carried out in a wetland located in a humid forest in northwestern Patagonia. A particular study was carried out from amplexus to hatching within enclosures placed in the wetland. Hylorina sylvatica has a seasonal and prolonged reproductive pattern (spring to early summer) and a generalized reproductive mode, with independent eggs, without parental care, an embryonic period of between 10 and 14 days and a prolonged larval period of approximately 13 months, which includes a winter, and ends in the second summer with a relatively large metamorph. Currently the species is facing new challenges such as regional climate change and the introduction of species, among other factors.