First record of Hypsiboas geographicus ( Spix , 1824 ) ( Hylidae ) and Physalaemus centralis Bokermann , 1962 ( Leptodactylidae ) for coastal ecosystems in the state of Maranhão , Brazil

Brazil has the greatest diversity of frogs in the world (Segalla et al. 2012). However, this diversity has been threatened by continuous degradation, fragmentation and habitat loss in almost all Brazilian biomes (Myers 2000; Alencar et al. 2004; Leal et al. 2005; Klink and Machado 2005), the main causes of local extinctions and global decline of amphibian populations (Stuart et al. 2008; Verdade et al. 2011). In the state of Maranhão the growing expansion of soybean croplands and Eucalyptus woodlots in the Cerrado biome and the real estate exploration and urbanization in the restinga areas (Silva et al. 2008) are real threats to biodiversity of this region. In this paper, we present the first record of Hypsiboas geographicus (Spix, 1824) and Physalaemus centralis Bokermann, 1962 in restinga ecosystems, a typical physiognomy of sandy coastal plains (Araujo et al. 1998) in the northeast of Maranhão state (Figure 1). Collection permits were given by the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade ICMBio (license number 20896-1). Hypsiboas geographicus (Spix 1824) is widely distributed in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela and Brazil (Lima et al. 2006; IUCN 2013; Frost 2014). In Brazil it is found in preserved and disturbed areas in the Amazon Rainforest, Cerrado and Pantanal biomes, with the exception of the coastal region from the state of Alagoas to the state of Santa Catarina (Lima et al. 2006; Stuart et al. 2008; IUCN 2013; Frost 2014). Hypsiboas geographicus is usually found on trees, branches and twigs along streams, rivers, lentic water bodies (ponds and lakes), lowland forests and clearings forests, being more frequent during the rainy season (Duellman 1973; Duellman 1978; Abstract: This note reports the first record of Hypsiboas geographicus and Physalaemus centralis for coastal ecosystems “restinga environments” in the Maranhão state, Brazil. These records expand the geographic distribution of these species for restinga environments and contribute to the knowledge of anurofauna of Maranhão state. 1 Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação, Laboratório de Herpetologia e Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação. Avenida dos Portugueses, N° 1.966, Campus do Bacanga, CEP 65080-805, São Luís, MA, Brasil. 2 Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre. Avenida Antônio Carlos, N° 6627, Pampulha, CEP 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. 3 Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Departamento de Biologia. Avenida dos Portugueses, N° 1.966, Campus do Bacanga, CEP 65080-805, São Luís, MA, Brazil. * Corresponding author. E-mail: ram_eco@yahoo.com.br Rodrigo Matavelli 1*, Aldenise Martins Campos 1,2 and Gilda Vasconcellos de Andrade 1,3 First record of Hypsiboas geographicus (Spix, 1824) (Hylidae) and Physalaemus centralis Bokermann, 1962 (Leptodactylidae) for coastal ecosystems in the state of Maranhão, Brazil

Brazil has the greatest diversity of frogs in the world (Segalla et al. 2012).However, this diversity has been threatened by continuous degradation, fragmentation and habitat loss in almost all Brazilian biomes (Myers 2000;Alencar et al. 2004;Leal et al. 2005;Klink and Machado 2005), the main causes of local extinctions and global decline of amphibian populations (Stuart et al. 2008;Verdade et al. 2011).
In the state of Maranhão the growing expansion of soybean croplands and Eucalyptus woodlots in the Cerrado biome and the real estate exploration and urbanization in the restinga areas (Silva et al. 2008) are real threats to biodiversity of this region.In this paper, we present the first record of Hypsiboas geographicus (Spix, 1824) and Physalaemus centralis Bokermann, 1962 in restinga ecosystems, a typical physiognomy of sandy coastal plains (Araujo et al. 1998) in the northeast of Maranhão state (Figure 1).Collection permits were given by the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade -ICMBio (license number 20896-1).
Hypsiboas geographicus (Spix 1824) is widely distributed in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela and Brazil (Lima et al. 2006;IUCN 2013;Frost 2014).In Brazil it is found in preserved and disturbed areas in the Amazon Rainforest, Cerrado and Pantanal biomes, with the exception of the coastal region from the state of Alagoas to the state of Santa Catarina (Lima et al. 2006;Stuart et al. 2008;IUCN 2013;Frost 2014).Hypsiboas geographicus is usually found on trees, branches and twigs along streams, rivers, lentic water bodies (ponds and lakes), lowland forests and clearings forests, being more frequent during the rainy season (Duellman 1973;Duellman 1978; First record of Hypsiboas geographicus (Spix, 1824) (Hylidae) and Physalaemus centralis Bokermann, 1962 (Leptodactylidae) for coastal ecosystems in the state of Maranhão, Brazil Rodríguez and Duellman 1994;Bartlett and Bartlett 2003;Lima et al. 2006;IUCN 2013).This species is usually observed at elevations below 500 m.However, in Ecuador, it has been observed above 1200 m, suggesting that its populations could represent a species complex (Stuart et al. 2008;IUCN 2013).
In this study, specimens of H. geographicus were recorded in two municipalities in the northeast of Maranhão state between February and April 2010.In Belágua (3°07′30″ S, 43°31′35″ W; 88 m a.s.l) on 15 March 2010, two males were captured (SVL = 57.5 mm and 50.9 mm, Figure 2) calling between 19:00 and 19:30h on soil with grassy vegetation on the banks of a temporary pond in restinga ecosystem.This is the first record of H. geographicus to this environment in Brazil.In Icatu (2°40′29″ S, 43°59′28″ W; 29 m a.s.l) on 20 April 2010 a male was seen calling between 20:30 and 21:00h in a slow lotic environment in gallery forests with crystalline waters with the predominance of palm trees (Mauritia flexuosa L. [Arecaceae]) 10-25 m height, which are called ″buritizais″, also in restinga environments (Figure 3A).
Our new records extend the geographical distribution of H. geographicus by approximately 2492 km northeast of the type locality (Tefé River, Amazonas, Brazil) and 567 km northeast of the single record in the municipality of Estreito, Ituaneiras farm (06°31′49″ S, 47°23′34″ W), state of Maranhão (Brasileiro et al. 2008).Voucher specimens were deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade Federal da Bahia (MZUFBA 11236 and 11237).
Physalaemus centralis Bokermann, 1962 is widely distributed in Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil (Uetanabaro et al. 2008;IUCN 2013;Frost 2014) and Cerrado formations in the Distrito Federal, in the states of Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, Tocantins and Maranhão (IUCN 2013;Frost 2014).In Maranhão, P. centralis was recorded only in Cerrado areas (Brasileiro et al. 2008).Males of this species are usually found calling in the undergrowth in the short periods after heavy rains associated with temporary and permanent ponds, swamps, wetlands and farm dams (Brasileiro et al. 2005;Vasconcelos and Rossa-Feres 2005;Santos et al. 2007;Zina et al. 2007).We observed in this study specimens in anthropized restinga environments, contradicting the results of Brasileiro and Martins (2006) that suggested that P. centralis does not adapt to anthropic environments.
One parameter used when selecting priority areas for planning conservation units is the total species richness (Drummond et al. 2005).The state of Maranhão is inserted in a wide and diverse biogeographic transition zone (Ab' Saber 1989) with the Amazon Rainforest in its western portion, patches of the Caatinga in the east, Cerrado in the center and northeast (IBGE 1984), and coastal ecosystems (restingas and mangroves) in the north and northeast.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Map pointing the new records of Hypsiboas geographicus (red circles) and Physalaemus centralis (black triangle) in restinga ecosystems in the northeast of Maranhão state, Brazil.

Figure 2 .
Figure 2. Adult male of Hypsiboas geographicus (SVL= 57.5 mm; MZUFBA 11236) recorded in the municipality of Belágua, in the northeast of Maranhão state, Brazil.A) Dorsal view and B) Ventral view.Photo: Camila Trevisan and Lucas Menezes.