Anurans of the Reserva Ecológica da Michelin, Municipality of Igrapiúna, State of Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

We studied the richness and distribution of anuran species on different breeding sites at the Reserva Ecológica da Michelin (13° 50' S and 39° 10' W, approximately 90-400 m above sea level), Municipality of Igrapiúna, Bahia State, Brazil. The reserve includes fragments of Atlantic Rain Forest varying from 140 to 650 ha. Five types of environments were sampled: leaf litter inside forest fragments, streams inside forest fragments, dam on the edge of forest fragment, temporary pond inside forest, and temporary ponds inside banana and rubber groves along the eastern boundary of the reserve. We used active and passive sampling methods for surveys of amphibians, between March 2007 and December 2008. We captured 48 species distributed in 10 families (number of species in parentheses): Aromobatidae (1), Brachycephalidae (4), Bufonidae (2), Craugastoridae (1), Centrolenidae (1), Cycloramphidae (3), Hylidae (29), Leiuperidae (1), Leptodactylidae (3), and Microhylidae (3). Temporary ponds presented the highest number of species in reproductive activity (19 species in native forested areas, and 21 in plantation areas), while leaf litter presented the lowest (6 species). Two species were found in bromeliads (Phyllodytes melanomystax and P. luteolus). Twenty-two species were exclusive to fragments of forest, 11 were found only in anthropized areas (dam, and rubber and banana plantations) and 15 in both environments. Aplastodiscus cavicola and Dendropsophus giesleri had their geographic distribution extended to the State of Bahia. Phasmahyla timbo and Chiasmocleis cordeiroi known only from their type localities were found in the reserve.