Atelognathus patagonicus. Habitat.

CUELLO, M.A.; JARA, F.; PEROTTI MG

HERPETOLOGICAL REVIEW

Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles

Lugar: Phoenix AZ; Año: 2006 p. 12 - 12

0018-084X

An improved understanding of the aquatic ecology of semi aquatic amphibian is not only important from a conservation perspective, but it may be vital to our understanding of the population dynamics. Atelognathus patagonicus is an endemic frog to an endorrheic wetland system in Laguna Blanca National Park and surroundings, Northwest Patagonia, Argentina (Gallardo 1962. Neotropica 8: 45-68; Cei and Roig 1968. Physis 27: 265-284. ). Two morphological forms have been described for A. patagonicus: an ?aquatic form? which has large interdigital membranes, highly developed cutaneous folds on its trunk and thighs, and a ?littoral form? with less of these features (Cei and Roig 1968, op. cit.). For this semi-aquatic frog few data is available about its biology (Cuello 2002. Atelognathus patagonicus (Anura, Leptodactylidae): distribución, hábitat, fenología y estado de conservación en el Parque Nacional Laguna Blanca y sus alrededores. Licenciate thesis, Univ. del  Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina 87 pp.; Fox et al. 2005. Copeia 920-928) and no data about use of habitat and activity are available, in particular areas where macrophytes are more abundant.