Habitat, egg‐laying behaviour, eggs and tadpoles of four sympatric species of Pseudopaludicola (Anura, Leiuperidae)

Abstract

In contrast to most leiuperid frogs, Pseudopaludicola falcipes does not lay eggs in foam nests; this could represent a reversion to the primitive state. We found that in four other Pseudopaludicola species, eggs were also not embedded in foam nests and had a well‐defined outermost jelly layer. The females also constantly moved or dived and males lacked vigorous “wiping/kicking” leg motions while eggs were being laid, features that make foam nesting difficult. The tadpoles of three species have two gaps in the marginal papillae along the lower labium and two posterior rows of labial teeth; the tadpoles of one species had three gaps and three rows, a pattern resembling that of some Physalaemus (Leiuperidae) species. Our data on tadpole morphology and reproductive behaviour do not allow us to rule out the paraphyletic nature of Physalaemus in relation to Pseudopaludicola but they provide some support against the “foam‐loss hypothesis” in Pseudopaludicola.

Keywords:

• tadpole
• foam nest
• morphology
• systematics
• Leptodactylidae

Acknowledgements

Financial support was supplied by FAPEMIG and CNPq; fellowships were provided by CNPq (to A.A.G.) and CAPES (to K.G.F.). R.A. Ribeiro, A.P. Rodrigues, M.N. de C. Kokubum, and M. Menin helped in the field and laboratory. The directors of the Clube Caça e Pesca allowed us access to their reservation. R.G. Altig critically read the draft and the late A.S. Rand made helpful suggestions on an early version of the manuscript. Jamil Tanus Neto prepared the line drawings.