Anurans and lizards associated to bromeliads in Atlantic Rainforest fragment in Pernambuco State, Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

The Atlantic Forest is distinguished by its great diversity of organisms, high rate of endemism and for being one of the most threatened natural environments on the planet. Among the universe of organisms that inhabit this biome, we highlight the herpetofauna because of its high microenvironmental specificity and the Bromeliaceae for providing a natural microenvironment which can be used by several species, including frogs and lizards. This study aimed to record the richness, abundance, temporal and spatial distribution and specificity of frogs and lizards related to the bromeliad species found in the Estação Ecológica do Tapacurá, na Atlantic Forest fragment in Pernambucano. The bromeliads were visited weekly, and sampled twice during the day (morning and evening) during the rainy (April-June) and dry seasons (September-November 2008), with limited effort of 80 bromeliads per day, 40 per each day period, totaling 1.600 bromeliads analyzed, 800 per season. All plants were investigated by direct observation, manipulation of the leaves and, 3 per turn, by removing the plant. In addition to the registration of herpetofauna they were recorded species of bromeliads, their position on the leaf (base, middle, center) and in part of the leaf (proximal, medial, distal) where the specimens were. The animals were classified according to the use of bromeliads. We recorded 10 representatives of herpetofauna (9 frogs and 1 lizard) occupying two species of bromeliads: Portea leptantha and Hohenbergia hamageana. Six species (Dendropsophus elegans, Hypsiboas albomarginatus, Scinax eurydice, S. x-signatus, Elachistocleis ovalis and Bogertia lutzae) were considered bromelicolous and four (Ischnocnema ramagii, Dendropsophus decipiens, Scinax auratus and S. pachycrus) bromelicolous behavior. The animals were recorded mainly in the dry season, which was expected, since in this season bromeliads are one of the few reserves of water in the Atlantic Forests; in relation to day periods, the records were more frequent during the day of the dry season, without differences in the rainy season. In general the community analyzed showed no preference between the two species of bromeliads studied, although the species S. pachycrus has been found more in P. leptantha. The frogs used mainly the proximal portions of the leaves of the middle and the center of the bromeliads, mainly due to the microenvironment formed by the armpits and the central tank. The method of withdrawal of bromeliads was not effective, simply by direct observation and manipulation of the leaves to expose the armpits.