Foam nest construction and first report of agonistic behaviour in Pleurodema tucumanum (Anura: Leptodactylidae)

By

Rodriguez Muñoz, Melina J.
Martínez, Tomás Agustín
Acosta, Juan Carlos
Blanco, Graciela M.

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2019-4-11

Original Publication

Neotropical Biology and Conservation

Volume

14

Series / Issue

Issue: 1

Pages

117--128

Subjects

Amphibians , dry Chaco , Dry Chaco , male-male interaction , oviposition site , reproductive mode

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Brazil Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.14.e34841

 

Abstract

Reproductive strategies are the combination of physiological, morphological, and behavioural traits interacting to increase species reproductive success within a set of environmental conditions. While the reproductive strategies of Leiuperinae are known, few studies have been conducted regarding the reproductive behaviour that underlies them. The aim of this study was to document the structural characteristics of nesting microsites, to describe the process of foam nest construction, and to explore the presence of male agonistic and chorus behaviour in Pleurodema tucumanum. Nests were found close to the edge of a temporary pond and the mean temperature of the foam nests was always close to the mean temperature of the pond water. Our observations corroborate that the foam nest construction phases for P. tucumanum are similar to those described for other Leiuperinae, including dispersion and the beating of the foam, realized by male hind limbs. We also recorded the first scientific observations of male agonistic encounter in Pleurodema tucumanum.