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Abstract
We studied the temporal distribution of tadpoles of Crossodactylus gaudichaudii, and their relationship with rainfall, in a Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest area. There is no previous information about the population dynamics of tadpoles from this species. We sampled 60 m along streams between May 2002 and April 2005. Tadpoles in initial stages of development (up to stage 25) were present in all months of the year and represented 80.4% of those sampled. This indicates a continuous recruitment of new individuals in the aquatic environment. Tadpoles in final stages of development (stages 42–46) represented only 5% of those sampled, which may be the result of higher mortality in the early development stages. Body length of tadpoles varied among developmental stages and between seasons. Tadpole density was higher in the rainy season than in the dry season, and was significantly related to rainfall in the area.
Acknowledgements
We thank the Centro de Estudos Ambientais e Desenvolvimento Sustentável (CEADS/UERJ) for local support and for making many facilities available. D. Vrcibradic kindly read the manuscript offering helpful suggestions. During the development of this study MAG. and FHH received graduate fellowship from Comissão de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), RCL received graduate fellowship from Conselho Nacional do Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (Process 141889/2010-1), MVS received grants from the CNPq (Process 301401/04-7), and CFDR received grants from the CNPq (Processes 304791/2010-5 and 470265/2010-8), and from Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) (Processes E-26/100.471-07 and E-26/102.404.2009).