Abstract
We describe a distinctive pattern of individually variable white 'islands' and dots on the ventral surfaces of the throat and forearm regions of male and female Phyllomedusa trinitatis. Crucially, we report from captive-reared individuals that these patterns are ontogenetically stable. We have used these patterns to recognize individual frogs in populations of 60 and more. Examination of the ventral surfaces of other Phyllomedusa species in museum specimens and from published accounts suggests that use of these patterns provides a generally useful, minimally invasive recognition method in this genus. We find that species previously classed as Phyllomedusa but now regarded as belonging to different genera lack these patterns.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 13-26 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Phyllomedusa |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 18 Jun 2019 |
Funding
Adam Bland reared and measured some of the Phyllomedusaspecimens reported here while based at The Manchester Museum. We thank Jeff Streicher for information on and access to the NHM amphibian collections and Naomi Barron for taking the photographs there. We acknowledge the helpful comments made by two anonymous referees. Joanna Smith, Eleanor Gourevitch and Roger Downie’s contributions to this paper derive mainly from fieldwork carried out in Trinidadduring University of Glasgow expeditions, funded by many agencies, principally the University of Glasgow’s Chancellor’s Fund, Glasgow Natural History Society, the Thriplow Trust, the Gilchrist Educational Trust and Dennis Curry’s Charity. Fieldwork and specimen export permissions were granted by the WildlifeSection of the Trinidad Government’s Forestry Division (Special Game Licenses 2014-16; Wildlife Special Export License 001741, 2014).
Keywords
- individual recognition
- Trinidad leaf frogs
- ventral patterns