Updated distribution of an alien frog species, Lithobates catesbeianus (Shaw, 1802), in Ecuador: new records of Bullfrog in the semideciduous lowland forest of western Ecuador

By

Narváez, Andrea E
Barreno, Marissa
Cuadrado, Stefania
Vera, Katherine
Molina-Moreira, Natalia

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023-8-2

Original Publication

Check list : journal of species lists and distribution

Volume

19

Series / Issue

Issue: 4

Pages

533--539

Subjects

Citizen science , Guayas , invasive species , protected forest

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

[São Paulo, Brazil] Luís Felipe Toledo 2005-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15560/19.4.533

 

Abstract

We report the occurrence of Lithobates catesbeianus (Shaw, 1802), Bullfrog, in a protected semidecidu-ous forest in the city of Guayaquil, Guayas, Ecuador and in a nearby wildlife management center. Bosqueira Pro-tected Forest is an isolated spot of diversity surrounded by urbanization, quarries, and highways. We found a juvenile Bullfrog in a water canal on the edge of the protected forest, near a private housing complex, and several tadpoles in an artificial pond in a wildlife management center located near the reserve. This is the first sighting of the invasive L. catesbeianus in a native ecosystem in Guayaquil. We also report the this species from, three other provinces of Ecuador, based on observations in iNaturalist. These records reinforce the ability of L. catesbeianus to adapt easily to varied environmental conditions and to disturbed areas. The invasion of L. catesbeianus towards semideciduous forest represents a new threat to biodiversity, particularly the endemic fauna, due to predation or competition. In future studies, it will be important to fully evaluate the Bullfrog diet and population status to esti-mate its impact on remnant forests of Guayaquil.