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Species composition and reproductive modes of anurans from the southwestern state of Goiás, Brazil

Abstract:

The Brazilian Cerrado biome is a biodiversity hotspot under gradual transformation by human activity, such as monocultures of cash crops and cattle ranching. While the Cerrado contains a considerable diversity of animals, its anuran fauna is still relatively poorly studied, even though 210 amphibian species are known to occur in this biome. Here, we survey the anuran fauna in the central Brazil, providing data on species richness and composition, reproductive modes, and conservation status. We conducted the surveys in southwestern Goiás state between 2009 and 2012, with a 10-day field trip for every three months. Sampling consisted of three complementary approaches: Pitfall traps, active searches at breeding sites, and auditory censuses. Additionally, published studies that provide species lists for southwestern Goiás were also considered, and the reproductive modes of the species were defined. We report 45 anuran species from six families and 16 genera, as well as nine reproductive modes from 88 sampling points in the studied region. Six of the 45 species are new recordings in the region, amplifying the information available on its anuran fauna. The species richness of the studied region is the equivalent of 6% of the total anuran diversity found in Brazil, and 22% of that of the Cerrado biome. Nine of the 45 recorded species are endemic to Cerrado, and three of these had not been recorded previously in southwestern Goiás. None of the reported species are listed as endangered, one is Data Deficient (DD), and all the others are Least Concern (LC). Most species presented reproductive mode in which exotrophic eggs and tadpoles are deposited in lentic bodies of water. The low diversity of reproductive modes found in the region appears to be related to the reduced heterogeneity of microhabitats. The knowledge of the zoogeographic patterns and the natural history of the anuran species are important contributions of this study that subsidize actions related to conservation policies for species in the Cerrado biome.